Three E's of Graffiti Management

Eradication –

This is the core element of any graffiti program and the place where most agencies first enter the war on graffiti. Simply put Eradication is the consistent and quick removal of all graffiti within the agency or community’s boundaries. While graffiti vandals understand that the transience of their work is a part of the process, if they are consistently seeing their graffiti removed in a short period of time, they will eventually get frustrated and quit or move to another area that is more lax in their removal efforts. Ideally graffiti would not be allowed to remain for longer than a 48 to 72 hour period, a lofty but reachable goal for nearly every community.

Almost as important as the time frame for graffiti removal is the manner and success of the removal method used. On nonporous surfaces a quick squirt of quality graffiti remover and the tag should be removed easily and completely. For painted surfaces a color matching system should be utilized to avoid a phenomenon writers refer to a “framing” which refers to a square of paint that is different from the background color being used to paint over graffiti, leaving a clean canvas within a frame of the background paint. Brickwork requires a minimum of specialized chemicals to a pressure washer and the ideal system of introduced media to the pressure of the water for minimal environmental impact.

Even the best graffiti programs will run into a few areas or types of graffiti that they struggle with. Scratching or etching of glass is usually a type of graffiti that is beyond the knowledge and ability of municipal or community based organizations to remove. Often times this falls on the shoulders of the property owner to address, what Graffiti 911 refers to as a double victimization. However difficult and expensive it is to remove, the need to get rid of it is strong. Vandals know that they take increased risks to participate in this type of graffiti and that they also have an increased chance of the graffiti remaining for longer period of time. Therefore the reward needs to be removed along with the graffiti. This problem can be reduced or eliminated through creative problem solving and cooperation among stakeholders along with new techniques that are making glass repair a more economical proposition.

Glass related graffiti can be hard, but at least it’s reachable. When it comes to “heavens” pieces or graffiti applied above the second story of a structure or on a bridge removal can be a dangerous logistical nightmare. Just like glass however increased risk weighs against the length of time the vandalism will remain. In some areas upper level graffiti has remained for years with no attempt for removal. That’s a pretty high reward for a risk that doesn’t seem that high for many writers. It’s always a shame to go to a community that looks like they have a handle on vandalism in their area, only to look up and see a whole different view above the first floor.

Enforcement –

Enforcement is crucial. As mentioned above while removal can be a deterrent it is also viewed as part of the game by a writer which lowers its value as a consequence. There is a conflicting message when graffiti is taught to be a crime, and yet enforcement of the laws that apply are infrequent and often superficial. This is a message that vandals are well aware of and use to their advantage. Most vandals recognize that during their career the odds are that they will be caught writing at least once. Because the usual outcome of such an incident involves fines, probation and community service they are willing to risk an arrest. However when asked about situations or events that would cause them to stop writing serious arrests and/or prison are mentioned repeatedly.

Graffiti is often looked at as a nuisance crime with little damage and no larger contexts. The reality is that vandalism costs are huge in this country and the graffiti culture is also commonly associated with other anti-social and criminal behavior. Unfortunately those factors are not taken into account and uninformed officials do not put the cases together to show the true picture.

For example let’s look at two situations. In the first instance we have a young man who goes out with a friend one night with a bottle of alcohol and graffiti implements supplied through theft from local businesses. Through the course of the evening they walk over 3 miles drinking and randomly applying graffiti through paint, markers, and acid etch. As the sun rises they are gone and there is over $40,000 of damage left for property owners to deal with.

The second story is about a young man who, in a desperate attempt to fund his drug addiction, resorts to going to a parking garage and breaking into multiple cars. He gets away with a few CD’s and a pocketful of change but has left behind thousands in damage to the cars he entered.

In a typical community the second young man would be the focus of intense scrutiny and investigation. If arrested he would likely be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and sentenced appropriately. The first young man may or may not be investigated and if identified and arrested would likely be offered a plea agreement for one or two of the charges and given minimal sentencing if jail time is even included.

It is imperative that law enforcement and prosecutors understand that graffiti is a severe property crime and must be treated as such. If not there will not be the proper respect given to the laws against it.

When communities make a large arrest and successfully prosecute the vandal there is usually a marked reduction in graffiti during the following weeks and months. When time goes by without any additional enforcement efforts invariably the incidents start to creep back up to the same level or higher than before the prosecution.

Education –

Perhaps the most successful and least used strategy in graffiti management is education. Education is essential in the effort to end graffiti vandalism. Reaching young minds early will give them the willpower to resist pressure to engage in graffiti. By informing current vandals about the ability and knowledge that can be used against them if they are writing can shift the risk vs. reward equation and make them rethink their involvement. It gives parents signs to look for in identifying if their child is involved in graffiti before they are dealing with the aftermath of an arrest. Letting the general community know that this is a serious problem, what’s being done to stop it, and how they can help. All of these are components of a successful anti-graffiti education program.