GRAFFITI PREVENTION TIPS
Graffiti contributes to reduced community safety, retail sales,
property values, and adds to community fear. Premises under graffiti
attack are less likely to attract goodwill, customers, tenants or
visitations.
Keep Surroundings Neat & Clean
Keep your environment clean and neat. Remove litter and trash, fix
broken fences, trim landscape, and install bright lighting. An environment
that suggests apathy and neglect attracts graffiti vandals.
Remove Graffiti Promptly
Rapid removal of graffiti is an effective prevention tool. Graffiti
is easier to remove within the first 24 hours. Research indicates
that graffiti removal within 24 to 48 hours significantly dimishes
the recurrence rate.
Encourage Reporting
Educate the public about the impact of graffiti vandalism. Lobby
for telephone hotlines to report graffiti and establish a website
to report graffiti. Setup effective response strategies once reports
of graffiti vandalism is found.
Enforce Anti-graffiti Laws
Ensure that any existing anti-graffiti laws are being enforced.
Law enforcement dedicated to tracking and apprehending graffiti
vandals is a strong deterrent.
Create A Paint-Brush Mural
Create a mural to restore walls that are regularly under graffiti
attack. Graffiti vandals rarely tag a paint-brush mural, they are
a great way to get the community involved in graffiti prevention.
Murals can involve local artists, youth and community volunteers,
and the local paint store, which may be willing to donate paint
and brushes.
Reduce Access
Make changes to buildings to incorporate access to graffiti vandals.
Natural deterrents include shrubs; thorny plants and vines will
effectively restrict vandal access. Add lighting to promote natural
surveillance. Use fences, controlled entrance and exits, rails,
and other barriers to discourage traffic. Limit access to roofs
by moving dumpsters away from walls. Cover drainpipes to prevent
vandals from scaling them.
Bright Lights
Adding bright lights or lights that automatically switch on when
a person enters the premises discourages graffiti vandals.
Use Graffiti Resistant Surfaces
To vandal proof targeted areas use graffiti resistant materials
or coatings. Permanent coatings facilitates graffiti removal. Textured
surfaces are less attractive to graffiti vandals. Dark colored or
colorful surfaces provide a poor canvas for a graffiti.
Monitor Graffiti-Prone Areas
Get the support of law enforcement or private graffiti contractors
to step up graffiti monitoring of locations that are frequently
hit by graffiti.
Use Safe Graffiti Removal Products
When working with chemical removers use those that are less harmful
to the environment. We at Graffiti X , use So Safe Products that
are environmentally friendly.
Say No to Legal Graffiti Walls
Do not allow a “legal wall”, or provide permits for
graffiti walls as they are largely ineffective and may draw more
graffiti vandals to the area. Legal graffiti walls send a mixed
message sponsoring graffiti in an effort to rid the community of
graffiti. Community records indicate they may work at first, but
after a period of time, the surrounding areas also become covered
with graffiti. Data also shows no decrease in arrests for graffiti
in cities where there are legal walls.
Enquiries
Peter Seigmund
Graffiti X Pty Ltd
P: 1300 661 941 (Australia)
M: +61 (0)408 491 820
F: +61 (0)2 4962 5243
E:
|
