GRAFFITI MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

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GRAFFITI MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
March 2007
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Presentation Outline

• History and Culture of Graffiti
• Graffiti Management Program 2003-2006
• Identified Gaps and Proposed Approaches
• Next Steps

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Background

• July 24, 2002 - City Council approved the
  implementation of a sustained graffiti management
  program
• Applies to all property and infrastructure
  managed by the City directly or indirectly
• Surface Operations Branch coordinates the Program
• In partnership with By-law and Regulatory
  Services and Ottawa Police Service

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Graffiti Impacts

• Left unchecked, graffiti spreads rapidly, leads
  to broken window syndrome.
• People think nobody cares nobodys in control.
• Discourages business and shopping.
• Poses threat, and in some cases, causes fear.

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Profile of a Tagger

• Taggers come from a variety of different cultural
  and economic backgrounds
• Their make up is predominantly males in their
  early teens to mid twenties
• They share a common denominator which is the
  desire for fame and recognition within the
  sub-culture. The greatest fame goes to the
  taggers with the most numerous, long lasting and
  difficult tags

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Profile of a Tagger cont

• The culture is based primarily on two principals
  
• To Get Up which means to place as many tags as
  possible, and
• To Keep It Real which means to keep it illegal
• Taggers do not respect the law, they thrive on
  the adrenaline rush of the risk involved when
  doing it illegally

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Tagger Graffiti Today

• Tagger graffiti and its culture has grown to an
  international level
• Taggers can photograph and post their graffiti on
  web sites around the world
• Graffiti websites provide information about the
  culture as well as information as to what
  products can be used or mixed to cause permanent
  damage

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Tagger graffiti styles

• Tag the taggers stylized personal signature
  which take 1 to 3 seconds to put up
• Throw-Up - larger than the tag. It is comprised
  of bubble or balloon style letters utilizing one
  or two colours. It can be completed in a matter
  of minutes
• Masterpiece - (piece) also known as wildstyle.
  It consists of interlocking letters and arrows,
  uses multiple colours and is the hardest style
  to master. A large masterpiece can take several
  hours or even days to complete

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The 4Es of Graffiti

• The components of the Graffiti Management
  Strategy are
• Eradication
• Removing graffiti quickly and efficiently.
• Empowerment
• Maximizing use of available resources and
  relationships.
• Education
• Building awareness about how to prevent and
  remove graffiti.
• Enforcement
• Applying municipal and penal code laws when
  necessary.

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Eradication

• Citys Graffiti Removal Crew contractors
  provide services to Council approved standards
• 24-hour city-wide response -remove hate, racist
  offensive graffiti.
• 5 zero tolerance areas (downtown core,
  Rideau-Vanier, Glebe, Westboro and Britannia)
• Zero Tolerance Zones
• Areas of the City where graffiti is concentrated
• City crew proactively patrols and removes graffiti

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Eradication

• Centralized reporting process through the Call
  centre (311).
• The Graffiti Removal Crew utilizes
• Environmentally responsible cleaning agents and
  methods
• Continuously experiment with new products and
  procedures
• Investigates and utilizes 'anti-graffiti'
  technology

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Empowerment

• Community involvement in graffiti prevention and
  removal
• Spring / Fall Cleaning the Capital
• Green Partnership Program grants
• Community monitoring and reporting
• Internal and External Stakeholder Committees

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• Internal Stakeholders
• Public Works Services
• Community and Protective Services
• Ottawa Police Service
• City Managers Office
• Corporate Services
• Planning, Transit Environment

• External Stakeholders
• City Public Works and Services, By-law
  Regulatory Services, Ottawa Police Service
• Government NCC, PWGSC, MTO
• Business
• School boards
• Community Associations
• Utilities / Canada Post
• Print Media

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Enforcement

• In Ottawa, graffiti is grouped under vandalism
  laws in the Criminal Code, and the charge is
  Mischief under or over 5000
• Enhanced vigilance assists with the apprehension
  of graffiti vandals
• Each item of graffiti removed by City crews is
  photographed and a database of records is kept.
• Information is shared with Ottawa Police Services
  to assist with enforcement activities
• 5 Ottawa by-laws make reference to unsightly
  markings, with charges laid under the Provincial
  Offences Act.

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Education

• Sharing information about
• the cost of graffiti vandalism
• ways to prevent it
• the impact of graffiti
• how to report and remove unwanted graffiti
• Ottawa Police Service brochure on graffiti.
• Citys website (www.ottawa.ca)

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Orleans Pilot Project

• Ottawa Police Service piloted a zero tolerance
  project in Orleans in 2005 and 2006
• proven that implementing the 4 Es together is
  effective way to counter graffiti.
• In 2005, 72 of the vandalized assets remained
  clean of graffiti due to implementation of a
  comprehensive action plan.
• In 2006, 87  reduction in visible graffiti.

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Identified Gaps

• Councillor Holmes motion June 2006
• Consideration of a graffiti by-law
• Increased proactive measures rather than reactive
  programming
• Limit barriers that reduce the effectiveness of
  reporting of graffiti
• Develop a support network for private sector
  (home owners and small businesses)
• Consider diversion methods as a means to reduce
  graffiti occurrence.

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Proposed Approaches

• Key issues being reviewed by staff include.
• Review of zero tolerance zones
• Efficient use of Citys graffiti removal crew,
  contractors, and volunteers for eradication
• Additional educational initiatives
• Tools for private and business property owners
• Implement lessons learned from Orleans Pilot
  Project
• Proposed stand alone graffiti by-law

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Proposed Zero-Tolerance Zones
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Efficient Use of City, Contract, and Volunteer
Resources

• Staff will look for innovative ways to engage
• graffiti removal contractors
• Volunteers and Community Associations
• City staff and services
• External partners and stakeholders

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Additional Education Initiatives

• Public awareness campaign with special emphasis
  on reaching students and youth
• Investigate partnerships with youth organizations
• Enhanced profile of graffiti in City programs
  such as Spring-Clean-the-Capital, and
  Adopt-a-Park/Road
• Partnerships with media to more effectively
  promote graffiti messages
• Highlight opportunities for artistic diversion

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Tools for Private and Business Property Owners

• Citys website will be expanded to include
• impacts of graffiti,
• tips for preventing graffiti and guidelines for
  effective graffiti removal
• tips for parents who are suspicious of their
  children being involved in graffiti
• lists of available graffiti product vendors and
  removal companies
• citizen reporting of graffiti (including online
  reporting option)
• registration of mural artists and properties
  available for murals.
• Graffiti Symposium

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Implement lessons learned from Orleans Pilot
Project

• Lessons learned have been identified and will be
  considered in all areas of the Graffiti
  Management Strategy

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Proposed Graffiti By-law

• Definition excludes mural signs
• General prohibition
• Removal within time period specified in notice
  but no sooner than 7 days

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Next Steps

• Written comments
• to Leslie Vanclief before April 2nd
• Leslie.Vanclief_at_ottawa.ca
• Fax [phone]
• May - Report to Committee

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Thank-you