Risky high-voltage rail graffiti move caught on camera

TransLink's police force has released surveillance video of a young woman spray-painting her tag on a metal wall at 29th Avenue Station, and says she could easily have electrocuted herself while stepping across the tracks.

The woman, who is now 18, was recently charged with 14 counts of mischief under $5,000 for allegedly leaving graffiti on the surfaces of numerous SkyTrain stations and train cars between October 2012 and March 2013. Police say the tag most commonly used in these offences was "VAMP."

Anne Drennan, spokeswoman for the Transit Police, said the woman was arrested in West Vancouver, but is a resident of Vancouver.

Because she was a juvenile at the time of some of the alleged offences, she is not being named, Drennan said in a written statement.

TransLink and the Transit Police released the video of the tagging at 29th Avenue Station to make others who might consider climbing near the tracks aware of the dangers of doing so.

Drennan said that at one point the woman stepped on the covering of one of the power rails, which carry a voltage difference of 600 volts between them.

"Had the rail covering cracked or her foot slipped and touched the side of the rail, she would have been electrocuted," Drennan said.