Salt Lake City- Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank spoke with Graffiti Removal Supervisor Brent Ahlander urged residents to stay vigilant in the fight against graffiti and report graffiti tags though a hotline and through a new smartphone app. The City has a full-time crew devoted to graffiti abatement and spends approximately $400,000 per year.
More at Salt Lake City Fox News 13
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Ontario - Under the leadership of Trustee Dale Robinson, secondary students are helping to beautify Thorold Ontario. Since 2005, they have painted murals over 20,000 square feet of wall making it the largest mural in Canada. Based on the New York City's "Broken Windows Policy" abandoned and derilict buildings have been targeted for graffiti removal and murals.
“The murals were painted on two buildings that were previously covered in graffiti as a response to the graffiti,” she said. “Since we put the murals up, they’d never been tagged before until this winter and they’ve started to deteriorate in spots, so now it’s time to get back at it and take care of it by cleaning up the graffiti and repairing things. “It’s the largest mural in Canada – it’s over 20,000 square feet – so we’ve got something to be proud of here.” More at St. Catherine's Standard Vista, California - Police arrested a 19-year old woman accused of approximately 300 graffiti tags over a period of nine months. Estimated graffiti removal costs to the city were estimated at more than $105,000. The arrest was the result of targeted vandalism patrols which both prevent tagging and generates income through restitution costs.
More at U-T San Diego Within days of the Boston Marathon Bombing, community residents have been shocked and outraged by the appearance of a series of swastikas graffiti tags on church building.
More at Boston Globe A twelve year old was arrested for causing over $15,000 of damage in Murrieta, CA.
More at The Press Enterprise Buffalo, New York - A prolific tagger has been sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service and thousands of dollars for hundreds of graffiti tags.
“You had the audacity to deface and paint and dirty up our city,” Judge DiTullio told him. “Now, you will clean up your mess and your graffiti under the watchful eye of city officials, the Probation Department and this court. I would guess, Mr. Whitefield, that leaning up your mess will be a lot harder than creating it. It’s a lot harder to take off paint than slap it on.” More at The Buffalo News Fascinating article which explores murals, tagging, and the increasing frequency of murals as targets of tagging. Published by the Phoenix Newtime and written by Claire Lawton.
"Taggers have realized that their tags stayed up longer on murals because the building owners and the commissioners of those murals can't afford to bring back the original artist to repair the mural," Greg Esser says. "So tagging on a mural has become code for longevity." Toledo, Ohio - The owner of a 50 year old flag business, located in an historic fire station, wants justice. She wants the teenager arrested for tagging her building and six others buildings in the commercial corridor, to pay retribution by scrubbing the spray painted graffiti off the 86 year old historicbrick facade.
Wendy Beallas, the owner of Flags Sales and Repairs, said if convicted, “I want him to be responsible and accountable for himself and clean it up,” she said. “This was very destructive. I want him to clean it, not just my building, but all the buildings.” “I am very disappointed,” she said, “It is just unbelievable and senseless to me.” More detail at the Toledo Blade Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is fed up with the graffiti that detracts from the vibrancy of Toronto’s neighborhoods. To help launch the Clean Toronto Together campaign to eradicate graffiti, the Mayor rolled up his sleeves and working with volunteers to remove a graffiti tags.
“Everybody’s had enough of the graffiti,” Ford said. “We’re fighting back.” Ford said the city removed 8,000 square metres of graffiti in 2012 and he hopes to improve on that record this year More detail at The Toronto Star. Success. The wall has now been transformed into a great mural. Check out the photos at National Post Toronto PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Legislation in the Rhode Island State Senate proposes to make graffiti a felony.
According to bill’s sponsor, Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin, “Graffiti is a serious crime that causes damage to property and costs owners hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair. Often it can’t really be fully repaired at all. But worse, it makes neighborhoods look run-down and uncared for, sending a message to others that it won’t matter if they decide to add more graffiti, litter or blight to the area. Graffiti has a significant indirect effect on the quality of life in addition to the direct physical damage it causes, so it really should be handled seriously.” The legislation would make graffiti a felony where there was more than $1,000 of damage. Repeat offenders would be potentially subject to $1,000 fine, 200 hours of community service, and up to a year in jail. The legislation would allow the court to order convicted graffiti tagger to pay for the full cost of the damage. The guardians of convicted minors could be held responsible for up to $1,000 of restitution for damages. “Graffiti shouldn’t be treated lightly. It’s a genuine crime with real victims and high costs. It robs neighborhoods of their quality of life, and those who commit that vandalism should be held responsible for their actions,” said Senator Goodwin. More at WPRI.com. |
AuthorFrom Clean City Innovation Graffiti Watch Archives
August 2015
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