It's well documented that speedy removal is one of the most effective graffiti abatement strategies, yet some businesses and residents simply fail to keep on top of it. I recently stumbled across what may be one of the factors contributing to the delay:
A local convenience store along E Lake St. had been tagged for some time, so I asked them if I could paint over it for them (big black bubble tag on white wall). The manager initially turned me down, explaining that her landlord would take care of it. After I explained to her that I'd do it for free, she took me up on my offer. It makes me wonder how common this type of situation is with both residential and commercial properties. Do tenants really want to hassle their landlords to remove graffiti from their property? I can imagine that some tenants (commercial or residential) probably don't want to make any waves that could lead to a rent increase. Proactive landlords would likely benefit from keeping their commercial properties clean, since this would likely increase their tenant's business (thus, ability to pay rent), and increase their property's value faster. Instead, I think some landlords don't find out their property has been tagged until they receive notice from the city. That's far from ideal for all parties involved, including the tenants, landlords, and community members. Vacant buildings are an even bigger problem. Anyone know how the city deals with vacant properties that get tagged? It certainly seems like a weak spot right now. Outside of that, it seems like the changes the reporting process have had a positive impact on removal. I'd like to see it taken to next level by allowing residents to document and email graffiti to the city using their camera phones. In NYC, a guy named Andrew Rasiej who is running for Public Advocate put together a site that does this type of reporting for potholes using Flickr and Google Maps. Both services are free for non-commercial use. http://www.advocatesforrasiej.com/wefixnyc/ One graffiti abatement tactic that hasn't been mentioned in this current thread is the use of murals on frequently tagged walls. Unfortunately, businesses and residents with single-color walls (especially white) are basically taunting taggers with a blank canvas. Subsidizing the cost of mural paintings may be a good investment of NRP dollars in affected neighborhoods. Offering rewards for turning in vandals may also be an effective use of NRP funds. -Ed Kohler Tag Tagger in Cooper REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
