About Graffiti
Graffiti has a negative impact on the community for reasons that go far beyond just the visual pollution. Graffiti not only looks bad, but it signals the presence of gangs and can be used to intimidate the community as a whole, as well and provoke other gangs to start “tagging” in retaliation. Once an area is tagged, it is more than likely to be tagged again. The presence of graffiti gives gangs power, because they know with their work still up, they are ultimately in control of an area.
The best way to stop graffiti is to show the “taggers” that what they did is unacceptable by showing gangs that the community will not stand for it. Implementing an anti-graffiti initiative or graffiti-prevention initiative that removes graffiti as soon as it’s found is a great way to do just that. Prompt and timely removal of graffiti speaks the loudest, saying that we are taking back our streets, and gangs are no longer in control.
Information reprinted with permission from Graffiti Hurts® at www.graffitihurts.org, a program of Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
