Community Resources

Prevention Strategies for Local Graffiti Events

Local events that host graffiti writers, which may also include Hip Hop music/DJs and dance, can provide an opportunity for increased graffiti vandalism in a community.

While these events are not illegal, they tend to draw crowds that commit acts of graffiti vandalism in and around the event venue—often for miles around the event. Community experience has consistently shown that events or media that legitimize graffiti result in an increase in graffiti vandalism.

Community Impact

In August 2005, Atari sponsored an event in New York City to promote their graffiti video game, Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. As the event came to an end, there were six arrests for graffiti vandalism within a few blocks of the event perimeter.1

A Hawaiian Punch Graffiti Jam scheduled for 2006 at a Houston, TX skate park drew complaints from neighbors and city leaders fearing graffiti vandalism. After learning of the controversy, the sponsor called off the event.2

Cincinnati's annual "Scribble Jam," this year sponsored by Toyota Scion, has resulted in an estimated $150,000 in graffiti vandalism over the past three years. This does not include costs to individual homeowners, businesses, city departments outside of public works, or neighboring communities.

Using the prevention strategies outlined below, Cincinnati has reduced the amount of damage each year—from $80,000 in 2003, to $40,000 in 2004, and finally down to $30,000 in 2005.3

Prevention Strategies

Use these strategies to help reduce the impact of a local graffiti event:

  1. If possible, prevent the event from happening. Alert city leaders and event sponsors to the potential for graffiti vandalism to the community. In addition to the cost of graffiti removal, theses events send a mixed message and can set a city back in its graffiti prevention efforts.
  2. Learn more about the event, the organizer, the sponsors, where it is being advertised, and how they are promoting it. To find out about events headed to your city, check out the Art Crimes web site (www.graffiti.org) or do a Google search.
  3. Send out an e-mail alert to community and neighborhood leaders, the business improvement district, chamber of commerce, and city departments warning them about the event. Encourage Citizens on Patrol to be out the night/s of the event.
  4. Ask the event organizer to post signs at the venue alerting attendees to any anti-graffiti laws. For example, "Respect our City. Graffiti vandalism is against the law."
  5. Request support from local law enforcement. This may include police stake outs of specific locations where graffiti may be expected, monitoring web sites, and using other law enforcement tactics to increase the risks to potential graffiti vandals. And, enforce any curfew that may be in place for minors.
  6. Ensure that all outside lighting is operational in and around the venue area to create natural surveillance. If your city uses FlashCams or other types of video monitoring, redeploy these to areas where most of the graffiti vandalism is expected to occur.
  7. Talk to local media, arts centers, music venues, and others about the effects of graffiti vandalism, and this event in particular, on the city. This is an opportunity to renew efforts to educate about graffiti vandalism and encourage prevention.
  8. Be ready to respond to calls from a graffiti hotline. Have any public or private graffiti removal van or other equipment ready and available during and after the event. While this may add costs for worker overtime, rapid removal is the most effect tool for graffiti prevention.
  9. Prepare to go to court if graffiti vandals are caught and arrested. Have in hand the total dollar amount for graffiti cleanup. Ask community leaders and business owners to testify in court about the effects of graffiti vandalism on the community.

Footnotes

  1. Alison Gendar, New York Daily News, "6 tagged outside lines," August 29, 2005.
  2. Houstonist.com, "Weekend graffiti event draws criticism," July 7, 2006; KTRK News Houston, TX, "Sponsor calls off so-called 'graffiti jam'," July 7, 2006.
  3. Data from Executive Director, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful.

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