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Rapid cleanup best graffiti antidote

I wanted to point readers to several interesting, recent news stories related to graffiti, particularly regarding the issue of rapid cleanup, which I've long believed is the single most effective strategy a city can undertake to combat graffiti:Rapid cleanup best graffiti antidoteHere's an interesting little profile of a code enforcement employee in Chandler, AZ, a Phoenix suburb, whose full-time job is cleaning up graffiti, which he is usually able to remove within 24 hours of a new report. The stats jumped out at me: In 2008, this one man erased graffiti at 1,847 different spots. Do you think Chandler police made even 1% as many arrests? Probably less. Harsh penalties may make grant the public a cathartic moment of gloating satisfaction when punishing the small handful of taggers who are caught, but rapid cleanup actually provides redress to victims of vandalism and is a greater deterrent to graffiti than a one in a thousand chance at being arrested...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on July 12, 2009 (boomark / email).