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Gig
Harbor Police Department Graffiti Response Plan
Graffiti hurts communities. It drains tax dollars
and private funds and sends a message that nobody
cares about the area in which it appears. This
becomes an open invitation for loitering, littering,
more graffiti, and crime. It hurts property values
and frightens away businesses. Graffiti is the most
common type of vandalism according to the Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS). Research reveals the
following facts related to this type of crime:
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Immediate removal, within 24 to 48 hours, is the key
to successful graffiti prevention.
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Most
studies show the majority of vandals are males
between 12 and 21 years old.
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There
are four motivating factors for graffiti vandalism:
fame, rebellion, self-expression, and power.
Our Department has
adopted a three-tiered approach to the graffiti
problem:
Prevention,
Enforcement
and
Removal:
Prevention
Prevention efforts include:
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Public
education programs designed to heighten
awareness and sensitivity to graffiti.
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Encouraging
special landscaping near potential target areas
to deter graffiti vandals.
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Encouraging the design and construction of graffiti
resistant structures.
Enforcement
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A
"zero tolerance" for graffiti vandalism.
Aggressively prosecuting graffiti vandals is
important.
We aggressively prosecute graffiti vandals in
both the criminal and civil court system. This
allows us to take vandals to court to pay for
damages, which can add up to several hundred
thousand dollars. This program helps to lower
recidivism and draws parents into the process.
We encourage our citizens to report all
incidents of graffiti to the Police Department
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Encouraging public/private partnerships to
respond to graffiti vandalism and offer cash
rewards for information that leads to the arrest
and conviction of graffiti vandals.
Removal
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Keep in mind
that vandals want their work to be seen.
Research has proven that if graffiti is removed
immediately after it is applied, the victim
location is less likely to be the target of
continued vandalism. Graffiti should be removed
within 48 hours of it being discovered and
reported.
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If
the graffiti is on public property, the City will
have it removed as soon as possible, normally by the
next regular business day. This will many times
involve coordination between our Police Department
and our Public Works Department working with local
public businesses and utilities to remove graffiti
from utility boxes and other infrastructure not
being monitored on a daily basis.
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If
the graffiti is found on private property, the
police department will notify property owners and
aggressively work with property owners to get their
graffiti removed or covered up.
Reporting Graffiti Vandalism
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A
graffiti hotline helps police and clean up crews
respond in a timely way to reports of graffiti
vandalism.
We encourage citizens to report all graffiti
vandalism to the Gig Harbor Police Department by
calling 253-851-2236. If the incident is being
observed, please call 911 immediately. |
