Taggers who defaced Erskineville mural of former NSW RFS boss brag on Instagram

Police have issued a stern warning to taggers who brazenly uploaded videos of themselves defacing a high-profile mural as detectives were hunting down the culprits.

The inner west’s top cop has issued a stern warning to the vandals who defaced a mural of former RFS chief Shane Fitzsimmons after they filmed the entire late night session and bragged about it online.

The alleged taggers were taunting investigating police on Tuesday, brazenly posting their antics to Instagram hours after defacing the artwork at Erskineville station.

Inner West Police commander Sam Crisafulli warned the two offenders they risked their lives after scurrying down the same tracks where a yonug teenage tagger was hit by a train and killed in recent years.

“It’s a criminal offence, it carries a custodial sentence and it costs the taxpayer millions and millions of dollars a year,” Superintendent Crisafulli said.

“There’s a real risk to these offences too ... there was a kid a few years ago hit by a train and killed right where these blokes were and took off from.

“Add to the fray that the whole intent of the mural was to promote the good work of a member of the community who led us through the bushfires last year.

Before …

And after … Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

“If you want to highlight yourself (on social media) and come to the attention of the public how about try volunteering instead of committing a criminal offence.”

The taggers, who call themselves chinbicken and madism7777 on the social media site, are believed to be responsible for the tags “Mad” and “Aries” which appeared on the Erskineville mural.

“The fact it’s the most wack s*** I’ve done makes it even better,” one posted to their followers. “Shoutout to grandpa for recording us and calling the cops”.

Madism7777 posted an image of the defaced mural with the caption, “what you think of Sid tapia mural?” in reference to the commissioned artist behind the Fitzsimmons mural.

Mr Fitzsimmons with Mr Tapia and NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Madism7777 also posted a screengrab of Mr Tapia being interviewed for TV news and replaced his face with a cartoon image of a clown.

He then published an Instagram video which showed the defaced mural with “another one bites the dust” playing in the background.

The video ends with the tagger riding on a train and flicking their middle finger in the direction of the defaced mural.

Several other graffiti artists in the underground scene are also sharing the work and celebrating the defaced mural.

Renowned street artist Sid Tapia who has created the mural to honour Resilience NSW Commissioner Fitzsimmons, and the efforts of RFS volunteers throughout the Black Summer. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The posts come after the mural was painted as part of “graffiti removal day”, with many graffiti artists regarding that as an insult to their subculture.

Yesterday, NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman called on locals not to graffiti on Sydney streets during Graffiti Removal Day.

Mr Speakman unveiled the seven-metre portrait of former Rural Fire Service boss Shane Fitzsimmons on Monday, saying the mural would remove the “temptation” to graffiti.

“Graffiti Removal Day is a reminder of the scourge of graffiti that still faces us here in New South Wales. The bad news is that graffiti clean ups cost us $300m annually, but the good news is that graffiti crime is on the downward trend,” he said.

“We know that street art reduces graffiti. We know that if there is an ugly wall, they are just waiting for someone or many people to tag it.

“(We are) designing communities and designing streetscapes in a way to reduce the temptation to graffiti. You can kill two birds with one stone.”

NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott speaks to media at Parliament House in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Shane Fitzsimmons at the official launch of Graffiti Removal Day 2021. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The artwork, painted at Erskineville Station to honour Mr Fitzsimmons’ efforts in the Black Summer bushfires of 2019, was defaced just hours later with words including “Mural Removal Day” and “Mad Aries”.

Another large tag in red paint was also on the mural.

Police Minister David Elliott slammed the act, saying those who vandalised the mural should speak with the “thousands of people whose lives have been saved” thanks to Mr Fitzsimmons’ efforts.

“I don’t understand how anybody feels threatened by a mural or a statue of James Cook for that matter,” he said.

“This whole culture of vandalism and graffiti in this city is starting to get me down.

“I would appeal to anybody who would want to vandalise a mural of Shane Fitzsimmons maybe (should) have chat to the thousands of people whose lives have been saved thanks to his efforts,” Mr Elliott said.