Graffiti Abatement History of Graffiti It could be said that tagging and graffiti vandalism goes back to World War II when "Kilroy Was Here" was written on tanks and military equipment. Tagging, as we know it today, began in New York City in the 1970s. It was originally made popular by a young man who used his job as a messenger to put his tag, "TAKI 183," on every street corner in Brooklyn. Tagging reportedly spread to the West coast in 1988 where it has flourished. In fact, California has more tagging now than any other state, due in part to the moderate year-round temperatures. Graffiti first became a persistent problem in Omaha in 1992-93. What was once perceived to be a problem of the inner cities has become everyone’s eyesore. Buildings, walls, even public transportation in some cities are being defaced by spray paint vandalism. Graffiti has become universal. Its ugly, unsightly scars have marred the face of America. And, beyond its unsightliness, graffiti damage is very expensive. This type of vandalism now costs the American public over $4 billion a year. And yet, most graffiti vandals consider their tagging to be an art form. Graffiti is not art! It is a crime -- destruction of property! Definitions • Graffiti: "The defacing, damaging or destroying by the spraying of paint or marking of ink, chalk, dye or other similar substances on public and private buildings, structures and places" (without the permission of the owners.) (Omaha City Ord. Sec. 18-62 & 63) • Monikers: These are gang members’ street names or nicknames, and they are often the only name by which a youth is known in the gang. Therefore, monikers are frequently seen in gang graffiti, along with the name of the gang. Street names often describe the youth’s physical characteristics, how the gang sees him, or how the gang member sees himself. • Taggers: Vandals who just write their name or moniker, sometimes in very stylized and ornate lettering. • Piecers: Vandals who create more elaborate designs called Master-pieces. Two Types of Graffiti Gang graffiti is the written language of gangs. It can serve as a newspaper of the streets, to mark territory, to create gang identity, to challenge rival gangs, to make statements of loyalty, to serve as a roll call of members, to communicate messages of intended violence or death, to express grief in the form of a eulogy, or to serve as an obituary for fallen gang members. Gang graffiti is commonly written with words misspelled and with letters reversed, upside-down, and/or crossed out. It frequently includes the names of known gangs (White, Mixed-race, Hispanic, Black or Asian), or "sets" of those gangs. Gangs will frequently leave their gang name on the graffiti site. Gang graffiti can be highly stylized or sloppily written. Tagger graffiti is written by a "tagger," a person who adopts a nickname (or "tag") and then writes the moniker on public and private property. It is typically on the same surfaces and sites as gang graffiti. The style of tagger writing usually resembles handwriting and is sometimes so stylized that it is difficult to read. Letters are commonly intertwined, and cartoon-type drawings often accompany a tag. Unlike gang graffiti, tagger graffiti is not territorial because the taggers are determined to write as many tags as possible throughout a metropolitan area to establish maximum visibility of their tag. They are motivated by the need to be recognized, and feel graffiti enhances their reputation. In various parts of the country, tagger groups have been in conflicts with youth gangs. Solutions to the Graffiti Problem To combat the graffiti problem in Omaha, a Graffiti Task Force was created, in the spring of 1999, by representatives from law enforcement, the Mayor’s office, Public Works, the City Prosecutor’s office, the Fire Department and the Community Resource Center. The strategy adopted by the Graffiti Task Force consists of eradication, enforcement and education. Eradication • During the past five years, over 1400 citizens have volunteered for Operation Wipe-Outs, an on-going program to paint over graffiti. Currently, the volunteers paint a gray primer coat over the graffiti which doesn’t allow the spray paint to bleed through. Then, the owner of the structure can either complete the painting by matching the original color, or call the Mayor’s Hotline at 444-5555 and ask for the Graffiti Van to finish the job. • If you wish to paint out the graffiti on your property, but do not have paint, the Omaha Fire Department now has a Sustaining Program to help citizens keep their property graffiti-free. Call 444-5760, and ask for the address of the Fire Station nearest you that is equipped with paint and supplies that you may borrow. • Omaha received an Operation Wipe-Out Graffiti Van in the spring of 1998. This van has a computerized paint matching system, as well as the capability of water-blasting or soda-blasting graffiti off of non-painted surfaces such as brick and stone. The Graffiti Van’s staff has made a tremendous impact on the graffiti problem in Omaha. Enforcement • Officers of the Omaha Police Department conduct immediate and aggressive follow-ups on incidents of graffiti, which in many cases results in confessions and clearance of multiple cases. Call 911 to file a crime report. • The Metro-Unit maintains files containing documentation and evidence on an abundance of monikers. This evidence assists the officers in pressing for the most serious charges. • The city prosecutor aggressively files and prosecutes graffiti violations. • Neighborhood Impact Statements, which are written by citizens who have had to deal with graffiti, are used in court proceedings to inform the judges how graffiti has affected the quality of life. Education • In order to streamline the reporting process for graffiti, call the Mayor’s Hotline, 444-5555, when your property has been the target of the graffiti vandals. • Remove graffiti as soon as you report it to the Mayor’s Hotline. This immediate removal sends a message to the vandals that you are not going to be apathetic about graffiti. Fast removal is key to keeping graffiti from proliferating. • Parents, students and teachers need to understand the seriousness of the graffiti problem, and the legal consequences. Remember, graffiti vandalism is a crime, and can be punishable with up to five years in prison, or $10,000 fine, or both! • The TEAM curriculum was expanded to include the topic of graffiti. • There is a strong link between graffiti and street violence. Wise people don’t engage in graffiti vandalism. • Approximately half the people arrested for graffiti are between the ages of 16 and 29. The rest are under the age of 16. What Can You Do? • Parents: Many taggers proudly sport samples of their "art" on books, notebooks, walls and furniture in their bedrooms, sometimes even their clothes. Some even carry tagging scrapbooks, complete with samples of their writing and photographs of the locations where their crew has vandalized. They may also be carrying copies of magazines which support the tagging trade. Check their fingers for paint. Do they wear big baggy pants and loose shirts? This type of clothing can easily hide several cans of spray paint. • Teachers: Teachers also need to take notice of graffiti on notebooks, desks, homework and in lockers. Also be aware of students with paint on their fingers. These are all signs of potential graffiti vandals and should be reported immediately to your school security people. • Business People: Businesses that sell spray paint and markers have a responsibility to watch who is buying their products. It could be advantageous to businesses to keep these supplies behind the counter, or in an area that can be observed by the employees. Many times vandals, in extra large clothes, walk up to a display and shop lift several cans of spray paint. Some businesses have young people sign a form when they buy spray paint. Other businesses won’t sell these products to anyone under the age of eighteen. • Community Members: Graffiti sends a negative message to the public. It presents a picture of apathy and decay. It can result in reduction of property values and may discourage new businesses and families from moving into, and investing in, a neighborhood. Graffiti has serious implications and must be removed quickly. When an individual or a neighborhood becomes involved in active and frequent removal of graffiti, the message sent is more than "cosmetic." A united removal effort makes a clear statement that offenders, and their destructive graffiti and other activities, will not be tolerated. Graffiti Hurts Everyone and Can Destroy a Neighborhood The community has a responsibility to maintain their neighborhoods, and keep them graffiti-free. The "Broken Window" theory, developed by George Kelling and James Q. Wilson, tells how "disorderly behavior, unregulated and unchecked, signals to citizens that the area is unsafe." Vandalism is disorderly behavior. Graffiti is vandalism. When an area is hit again, and again, by graffiti blight, citizens feel the area is not safe and it serves as a welcome mat to more serious crime. In order to defeat the vandals, and keep our neighborhoods safe, we all have to continually be on top of the problem! |