Inside the train graffiti gangs costing you millions
Cleaning up after Australia's train vandals is costing tens of thousands of dollars every single day.
The vandals' tactics show they are becoming more sophisticated and arrogant, with very few being behind bars.
Footage has shown a vandal spray-painting a train in daylight while a friend captures it on film.
Another graffiti train vandal calls for more paint, before pausing to dance for the camera.
In other footage, two vandals are dressed as rail workers as they use a gantry to paint an entire train.
"There is really a hardcore of vandals out there trying to do damage to our railway," said Howard Collins, Sydney Trains chief executive.
The footage gathered could be used as court evidence, but they are actually from a new film.
Called In Us We Trust it shows real-life vandalism in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
"They're aggressive, difficult vandals who I want to eliminate off the railway," Collins said.
Graffiti damage on the rail network costs the state $30 million a year, or more than $80,000 every single day.
Factor in the cost of damage that occurs off the train corridor and that figure jumps to a whopping $100 million dollars.
Police have invited the public to help paint over graffiti, but when we asked for an interview to find out how they combat the vandals, they declined.
Attorney General Gabrielle Upton said there are stiff penalties: "You can get even up to one year in jail,” Upton said.
However, from July 2014 to June this year just one person was jailed under graffiti laws.
He was sentenced to three months.
Just a small number of other graffiti vandals have been jailed for malicious damage and other offences.
"It's horrible and I feel it's violating my home,” said graffiti attack victim, Anne Pill.
Ms Pill is proud of her home, but painting over the graffiti is a constant battle she resents.
"Somebody is coming and telling me what my house should look like. I decide what my house should look like,” Ms Pill said.
Collins added: "This costs millions and millions of dollars to clear up so therefore the punishment should fit the crime."
