SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF GRAFFITI REMOVAL
FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO THE PUBLIC
The Chicago Method
The Panel
Alderman Proco Joe Moreno
1st Ward Chicago
Adam Natenshon
Founder, Graffiti Action Hero.org
SoSafe US/Canada Master Distributor
Jerry Gabrielatos,
1st Ward Chicago, Senior Advisor
The Problem
Graffiti tagging causes neighborhood decline by...
• Encouraging street delinquency and criminality
• Depressing commercial activity
• Discouraging community reinvestment
• Reducing property values
• Draining tax dollars from constructive uses such as parks, schools and streetscape improvements.
The Solution: Graffiti Action Days
Volunteer graffiti removal events empower the community to reclaim their neighborhood from the visual blight of graffiti.
Accomplishments To Date
20 Graffiti Action Days since summer 2012 resulting in:
� Approximately 160 blocks cleaned
� Approximately 240 volunteers
� Approximately 10,000 tags removed
Mission
To harness the power of green innovation
to empower urban renovation
by mobilizing a volunteer army
to rid our cities of graffiti.
Effectiveness
SoSafe graffiti removers:
� Act fast
� Completely remove most tags within minutes
� Clean without impacting the underlying surface
Volunteers are foot soldiers to City’s mounted cavalry
Focus
Focus on the low-hanging fruit* where ~80% of tags are
� Paint, marker, grease pen, stickers, etc.
� Non-porous surfaces
� Mailboxes
� Newspaper boxes
� Parking meters
� Lamp posts
� Bus benches
� Signs
*Does not work on acid etchedwindows or large porous surfaces such as limestone and concrete.
The Graffiti Action Day
10 am to noon followed by lunch donated by local restaurant
Brief training and demo (15 minutes)
Tools:
� SoSafe Red and Blue Spray Bottles
� Ventless goggles and nitrile gloves
� Scouring pads
� Rags and Buckets
� SoSafe Rapid Off and Scrappers
(for sticker removal)
Safety and Enviro Sustainability
SoSafe Graffiti Removers are highly environmentally-friendly and therefore safe enough to be used by non-professionals
� Non-Toxic
� Non-Flammable
� Non-Aerosol
� Low VOC
� pH Neutral
� Biodegradable
� No Xylene
� No Acetone
� No Toluene
The Cost
Graffiti Action Days shift the cost burden of graffiti removal from the municipal budget to volunteer neighborhood groups.
Public Works cost:
$25 to $50 per tag
Volunteers cost:
$0.50 to $1 per tag
The Impact
� Volunteers can quickly and safely remove hundreds of graffiti tags.
� Volunteers report cleaning an estimated 30 to 50 tags per person, during the two-hour events.
The Math
� 12 volunteers x 40 tags = 480 tags
� City ave. cost per tag $35 x 480 tags
=$16,800 savings for city
and 480 fewer tags
Graffiti Action Day Kit
Kits come in multiples of 12
Include:
� SoSafe Graffiti Remover
� Supplies
� Choice of customizable poster
� Customizable press release
� Product use sheet
� Waiver form
Typical cost: $350
Leadership
Typically spearheaded by
• Aldermanic Offices
• Chambers of Commerce
• Municipalities
• Schools and Church Groups
• Block Clubs
• Neighborhood Orgs
• Non-Profit Groups
Working with Property Owners
Phase 2
Reducing the Amount of Graffiti
1. Identify buildings that are tagged the most frequently.
Reducing the Amount of Graffiti
2. Discuss the problem with the owners of these buildings.
3. Present options to owner to deter continued tagging.
Instead of Graffiti, how about . . . ?
Installing a Mural
Instead of Graffiti, how about . . .?
Using an Anti-Graffiti Shield
Instead of Graffiti, how about . . . ?
Empowering property owners of the most tagged buildings with resources to perform the removal.
Reducing the Amount of Graffiti
Tagging is about visibility. By removing the potential for the most visible spaces to be tagged, the overall amount of graffiti will be reduced.
What are the consequences?1. Faster response time by the City’s Graffiti Blasters2. Resources of the City can be utilized more
efficiently.
Q&A
Alderman Proco Joe Moreno
Adam Natenshon
[email protected] www.GraffitiActionHero.org
773-398-5210
Booth #2004
Jerry Gabrielatos,
1st Ward Chicago, Senior Advisor