A year ago, I blogged a big graffiti incident downtown. This week, I took four photos of downtown buildings with new graffiti and added them to last year’s password-protected blog post. (Contact me if you’d like the password to view the photos.) I heard this piece on NPR’s All Things Considered this week: Cities Rely On High-Tech Method To Stop Graffiti. See this page on the TaggerTrap system which “detects the signature of a spray can and alarms the Police Department, Monitoring Center or security guard of tagging activity. With the TaggerTrap system, which includes a standalone network DVR, users can verify graffiti and the tagger responsible for the vandalism with digital video and audio over the Internet.”
I would agree that it has gone from a “problem” to an “epidemic”.
The back side of the train depot is all heavily tagged, as well as many of the buildings downtown.
Tags are even up on second and third story areas, and in hidden areas on buildings. (Near KYMN is an example)
I guess the questions are:
1. How do we take care of this issue?
2. What other problems/issues does the widespread tagging mean to our community. Does its presence mean other things not so good are here, or coming soon?
This went from a couple of small tags last year to a large amount of large tags.
I think we first need to start with a cleanup, then talk about enhancing security in the downtown area. Perhaps securing buildings, roof access and fire escapes, and adding lighting and patrols might help.
It truly is a blight. I am all for some cameras on the Riverwalk as well. Go after a “homeland security” grant or something? 😎
John, I should note that the 4 new photos of graffiti that I mentioned in the blog post are not the only new tags around town, as you indicate. And some of the graffiti from last year’s March outbreak has not yet been removed.
City Admin Joel Walinksi has a graffiti update in the April 17 Friday Memo: