Quick Action on Graffiti

Graffiti is the art of the anti-social and my neighborhood seems to have more and more of it lately. This morning my mailbox was "tagged." Thankfully our city has a very responsive graffiti clean up staff. I feel sorry for those who think they are getting somewhere by tagging other people's neighborhoods and hence lowering the property value. I would guess that few if any taggers are property owners and if so they have no idea what it's like to take pride in property.

Sadly there are people who make a living off of supplying these anti-socialites with their tools and hip hop music and other pop culture encourages it.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani wisely made graffiti clean up a priority of his administration. He said
"Graffiti creates an impression of disorder and of lawlessness. A city tainted by vandalism invites more vandalism and more serious crime because it sends the message that the city doesn't care and isn't paying attention."

That's precisely why I take even a little graffiti in a neighborhood seriously. It has to be nipped in the bud before the gang bangers and ding bats think they rule the neighborhood. Most cities will clean it up quicly if you call the proper authorities. And if they don't you should start and clean up committee of your own.