How Effective Are Graffiti Prevention Tactics?
Graffiti prevention tactics include stiffer penalties for those caught defacing property with graffiti, forcing those who perpetrate graffiti to remove the defacement and even jail sentences. In Chicago, spray paint has been outlawed for over 10 years. Yet despite these prevention tactics, graffiti still exists. Surprisingly, suburbs surrounding the city of Chicago found that they were selling more spray paint than ever and this move did nothing to deter the graffiti.
Why Graffiti Prevention Tactics are Required
A great deal of inner city graffiti is gang related. If you go into an inner city neighborhood, you will notice that there is a great deal more gang symbols that are spray painted on poles, fences, buildings, trains and just about anywhere with a surface. This is usually done as a way to mark the territory of the gang.
Other types of graffiti are just as disturbing. They include hate symbols and threats that directed at churches, mosques and synagogues. These are even worse when the implied threats are carried out, as has been the case over the years in some areas. Some hate graffiti is also directed at private individuals and can be in the form of intimidation or threats over various incidents. In some cases, the graffiti is created with a permanent substance, such as enamel paint. In others, it can be washed away. But the threat remains indelible.
When Graffiti Prevention Tactics Work & When They Don’t
Graffiti prevention tactics that do work include steering youth away from gangs by getting them involved in other types of activities and police clamping down on gang activity. In order to prevent the graffiti that is caused by gang members, you have to start at the core, which is the gang. Once there is a clampdown on gang related activity, the gang graffiti will start to disappear.
Educating the public about hate crimes and how hate inspired graffiti can cause more than just defacement of property, but actually terrorize someone is another way to prevent hate related graffiti. The new hate crime laws have made it a felony to write certain words or intimidate people based on race, gender, orientation, religion, etc. But this does not protect an average person who is having problems with neighbors who may be using graffiti to vandalize their property. In such cases, surveillance and prosecution of the crime is the best deterrent.
Some cities have also created graffiti walls for those graffiti artists who are more interested in making a political statement with their graffiti. These walls are used to display talents and promote social statements as well as individual talents.
Since most graffiti is done with spray paint, then graffiti prevention often involves creating products that are made with materials that will not allow spray paint to adhere to it. There are some products that are made with this type of graffiti proof material that are used in cities today.
Graffiti is usually seen as an eyesore and most cities will do what they can to try to prevent graffiti. Some of the measures include clamping down on gangs and those who deface property with adequate laws; providing outlets for social expression and using materials that will repel spray paint used in graffiti.