(Pictured: Graffiti like this on Interstate 5 is the target of a new state effort to catch taggers).

A new state law aims to crack down on illegal graffiti on public property.

As approved by the Legislature, the law establishes a pilot program to hold perpetrators accountable and restore the aesthetics of public spaces through swift cleanup overseen by the state Department of Transportation (DOT), with priority given to the Interstate 5 and Puget Sound region from Tacoma to Seattle.

Cameras currently used for toll and work-zone safety enforcement will be used to identify graffiti offenders, officials said. And drone technology will be utilized for spraying paint over graffiti.

The goal is to restore ”the dignity of our public infrastructure” and to combat an “explosion of graffiti,” said state Rep. Andrew Barkis, primary sponsor of the anti-graffiti legislation that took effect June 6. His district includes part of Pierce County.

According to DOT, graffiti vandalism has increased in recent years along state highways on bridges, overpasses, and walls. Taggers, as graffiti vandals are called, often target new or closed sections of roadways at night. Over the past two years, the state spent $1.4 million on graffiti removal.

“We can’t continue allowing the actions of a few to shape the narrative of our communities,” Barkis said.