Grafitti

[Backyard Fence]

I noticed during the summer that Scott cleaning services was power-washing ground level graffiti on the south walls of the Isabel Turner library. For some reason they never washed the graffiti on the roof level. I hope the taxpayer didn't pay for this power-washing; this would be a good community service assignment i.e. catch someone vandalising then have them clean off random graffiti (tags).

I notice the tagging is starting again - heaven forbid that the police would make a couple of random weekly drive throughs just to let 'them' know that we care and are watching.

[macphail]

I think they just announced yesterday the apprehension of a person suspected of tagging buildings, cars, fences, etc.

I agree: Make them clean it. Too many younger people have no respect for property that doesn't belong to them. I'd love to meet up with the jerks who like to break into my cars for the spare change. They may get a shock one night to find me hiding in the back seat. :mad:

Cheers, Derek

[Florence]

backyard fence could think of posting his/her concern to Needs Fixing.

[Backyard Fence]

Not too sure what you're suggesting Florence ... I did post it under Needs Fixing
thanks

[posting]

How to Use: Needs Fixing Needs Fixing: To submit a problem for 'needs fixing', follow these easy steps:

http://kingstonelectors.ca/forums/images/icons/icon13.gif Description: WHAT is the problem? WHERE is the problem? WHO is being affected? HOW LONG has this been a problem

Digital Photo: If possible, email a photo along with your description, including the approximate date of the photo.

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To submit: forward to: needsfixing@hotmail.com or post your concern to this forum

We will review all submissions to verify them, and select ones to be followed up for progress reports.

[Florence]

Sorry fence. I should have checked first. Perhaps Needs Fixing is on to it.

[Needsfixing]

http://kingstonelectors.ca/forums/images/icons/icon9.gif For the past two summers there has been a grafitti removal program in downtown Kingston - obviously not able to cover the Kingston West or East areas. There is a by-law requiring property owners to remove the offending tags, thus the taxpayer would foot the bill for any public buildings such as the Isabel Turner Library.

Catching the taggers is very difficult - the police would have to be there at exactly the right few moments it takes to do this, and of course, this is not likely to be high on the list of serious crimes.

But it really offensive to see all this trash on buildings, private and public; does nothing to promote the city as a tourist town, or a great place to live and work.
It is a difficult issue to resolve, the research from the first summer of the removal program indicates that no community has come up with THE answer, but that a quick removal of the tags by property owners does discourage these folks - who then move on to another location?

Ideally, the taggers would be motivated not to do this. Any ideas how?

[Backyard Fence]

"thus the taxpayer would foot the bill for any public buildings such as the Isabel Turner Library"

Like I said, why not use the cleaning of grafitti on public buildings as a community service (which the courts impose as part of someone's 'sentence') rather than spend taxpayers money ? I'm sure someone required to clean public buildings would be less that pleased if they see someone 'tagging' because they might have to clean up after them again.

"the police would have to be there at exactly the right few moments it takes to do this"

I'm not suggesting that they sit there, I'm suggesting random evening/night drive-bys. They might even discourage the kids that come into the park from the Cat centre to 'do their dope' and then go back to the mall and strut their stuff. To ignore the park sends a message to these miscreants that they can do whatever they want whenever they want e.g. disassemble retaining walls and interlocked pathways, pull out the flowers they city plants, empty the poop and scoop pails on the 'plaza' etc

[Lydia]

Althought I really like the idea of having the courts force the offenders to pay for the clean up, I have a MUCH better idea.

Mind you I actually forced my own 7 year old son and his fiend to do this, it worked and neither of them disfigured anything again.

My son and friend LOVED to draw and seen a neighbour's house didn't have a window on one side. (perfect for drawing with crayon) Now my neighbour and I didn't quite see things the same on many things and I didn't like him, however, we became the best of friends after this experience.

Seeing what my kid did, I thought since you love DRAWING with CRAYON, You would certain LOVE CLEANING CRAYON WITH A SCRUBING BRUSH, WATER, AND DETERGENT that would REMOVE this art once he was finished.

It took my son and friend, 8 hours of continued cleaning for FREE, while I watched them work. My neighbour came home from work and saw what was happening. He felt sorry for the kids and told me that it was alright to let the kids stop.

I asked him, "Do you think you would enjoy my son drawing again all over your walls of your house?" He got the message very quickly.

Now once caught, these Graffitti artists should also spend 3 times the amount of time cleaning these buildings. After all they use the same hands doing both. I think they would enjoy cleaning as much as they enjoy defacing buildings. Oh heck, no fines, just hard labour for free. After all they are willing to give us art work for free, why not labour to clean for free.

[Lydia]

C.A.G.E.
Citizens Against Graffiti and for Eradication

Co-founded by William Cawlishaw and Michael Hanna

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release – July 20, 2007

Citizens Against Graffiti and for Eradication will be making a presentation to the general public about the very real issue of graffiti in our city. The presentation will last approx two hours including a question and answer period.

The presentation will include:

• Education Component – What is graffiti, definitions, legal definitions, tools, and impact on the community.
• Proven Approaches – Examples from various cities and Police forces.
• Clean up and abatement program suggestion, crime prevention, clean up options depending on the surface, organizing community action.
• Many pictures from all over our city.

Date: July 30, 2007

Time: 7:00 pm – 9pm

Location: Loblaws Upstairs – 1048 Midland Avenue


Contact:

Michael Hanna
Email: cage@copmail.com Phone # : Michael Hanna (613) 384-7857