Prime Targets Of Graffiti
Graffiti is a form of painting that defaces property that does not belong to the painter. It can be harmless, such as kids writing slogans on a bathroom wall, or it can be a threat of violence that is eventually carried out and meant to instill fear. Either way, graffiti is an illegal activity and any surface area free from constant vigilance can be a prime target for graffiti.
Trains as Targets of Graffiti
One of the biggest prime targets of graffiti are subway trains or elevated trains that are parked in areas overnight. They are easy targets for graffiti spray cans and paint that can be used to adhere to metal. In many cities, it is hard to find city trains that have not been victimized by graffiti.
Abandoned Buildings as Targets of Graffiti
Another big target for graffiti is an abandoned building. Any building that does not have tenants and is not closely watched can be a target for graffiti. Because they do not want to get caught defacing public property, graffiti artists usually will target abandoned buildings that are not under the watchful eye of the public.
Fences as Targets of Graffiti
Fences are also a target for graffiti perpetrators, especially large fences that are made of wood. They can easily be hit with spray paint and then marked with gang symbols or with some sort of political statement.
Statues as Targets of Graffiti
One of the worst targets for graffiti are statues. Criminal defacement to monuments usually carries a stiffer penalty than any other type of graffiti. But this does not stop the graffiti artists from using spray paint and markers to deface public statues and monuments.
Cultures as Targets of Graffiti
Most disturbing is the graffiti that is designed to intimidate or harass others of different faiths, races or other origins. Some people use graffiti as an intimidation tactic to deliver messages of hate as well as threats. This is still used in areas where there are Jewish populations.
Swastikas are often painted on driveways, homes and even on synagogues in some areas as a form of ethnic intimidation. This type of graffiti is not only classed criminal defacement to public property, but also as a hate crime. Most perpetrators of these crimes do not get caught. These types of crimes are not taken lightly as there have been recent incidents, especially in the city of Chicago, where the intimidating graffiti threats were actually carried out with violent acts, including murder.
Schools as Targets of Graffiti
Schools are also prime targets of graffiti and students who are caught defacing the property are often expelled from the school. Most people have witnessed graffiti in their own schools. It usually consisted of slogans and names written on walls, mostly in the bathroom. This was usually painted over in the summer with fresh paint, only to be defaced again in the fall.
While it is easy to dismiss graffiti as the work of kids who have nothing better to do and want to cause some damage, graffiti today is not often just the work of kids. There are those who use graffiti as a way to mark gang territory, something that most people in the neighborhood find very disturbing, as well as those who use graffiti to make a political statement. Those who use graffiti as a political statement usually put more time and effort, as well as artistic skills, into their art form. In some areas of some cities, there are areas where this type of graffiti is allowed.