NANAIMO - It's getting tougher for taggers in Nanaimo. The city has a zero tolerance policy on graffiti, especially in its downtown core, where a few years ago the sides of many buildings were covered in spray paint.

"It's a criminal offence so we treat it no differently than someone who is breaking into houses as compared to tagging walls," Nanaimo RCMP Constable Gary O'Brien said.

Graffiti in downtown Nanaimo is a rare sight these days. The city's graffiti task force has a policy of removing all graffiti on city property within 24 hours. Commercial businesses are warned to clean-up tags immediately or risk having the city do the job at the owner's cost.

"The reality is that it's markings and if you leave it for one, then somebody else will come along and put their own markings on it and it goes on and on and on," Nanaimo mayor John Ruttan said. "It's a terrible eyesore and it's disrespectful for the community."

Graffiti expert Sgt. Wendy Hawthorne says there's more to graffiti than meets the eye. "There's a whole underside to the graffiti subculture," Hawthorne said. "That involves drugs and alcohol, and going out damaging property." Hawthorne adds those cities that take a proactive approach in dealing with graffiti can benefit from less youth crime and vandalism.