Dallas Graffiti Arts Project

Public Safety Committee August 14, 2012

www.dallaspolice.net

David O. Brown Chief Of Police

Purpose
To provide the Council with an update of efforts being made to curb/eliminate illegal graffiti, including: - review of traditional methods - introduction of more innovative approaches To seek Councils support of these efforts.
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Project Impetus
Council has had a keen interest in reducing graffiti throughout the city. - CM Jasso has led many efforts to meet the challenge: District One Graffiti Wipeout Workshop targeting students and parents in grades K 5. Anti-graffiti themes incorporated into DISD curriculum. Neighborhood abatements and student murals.
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Enhance Our Efforts

Traditional city responses to end graffiti arrest and abatement have had only limited success. More/different is needed to achieve better results:
enhanced enforcement creative abatement collaborations partnerships with graffiti artists

Anticipated outcomes of these updates:

reduction in overall incidence of illicit graffiti and change in general public perception that all graffiti art is criminal and a blight to neighborhoods.
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Definitions and Types of Graffiti

Graffiti markings such as drawings, painting, slogans, and symbols placed in any manner on tangible property Three principal types of illegal graffiti: Vandalism Ethnic, religious, or sexual slurs placed on property and often promoted by video and websites Tagging Random markings by those seeking recognition Gang Graffiti symbols, names, initials, and the like communicating with other gangs, often to identify territory, and continued through peer pressure and recognition
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Graffiti in Dallas: Traditional Response

Dallas, like all other major cities, has struggled with the problem of graffiti: Average of 60 new reports made to 311 each week Traditional response has focused on deterrence and arrest of suspects and restoration of damaged property through abatement This response has had only limited success:
average of about 8 arrests per month some 80 abatements by Code each week numerous sites are consistently tagged
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Traditional Enforcement Efforts

Enforcement efforts continue to use existing statutes:
Texas Penal Code 25.08 prohibits graffiti. Penalties range from jail to prison depending on amount of damage. Automatic felony for defacing schools, churches, cemeteries, community centers, etc. Dallas City Ordinance Section 31-39 prohibits possession of graffiti instruments (spray paint, markers, etc.) by minors and can impose fines on parents.
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Traditional Enforcement Efforts

NPO and patrol officers targeting graffiti hotspots Gang Unit tracking gang members, their territories, and symbols to identify taggers Trained detectives who work only on graffiti cases Pro-active educational efforts in schools, community organizations, and the like to encourage respect for others property
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Enhanced Enforcement
Changes underway to prosecute violators more effectively: Use of new tracking software that:
Documents tagging with geo-coded photographs, Automatically calculates clean-up costs, and Supports prosecution efforts

Focus on building multiple cases to enhance criminal penalties against prolific taggers
Relating cases based on art and tagging style, theme, and composition

Selected officers put on temporary assignment with Gang Unit

Will learn more about gang and graffiti intervention Upon return to stations will serve as a local point of contact and resource Currently at SW and NW Next training cycle begins in September
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Traditional Abatement
Abatement is bringing properties into compliance once efforts to gain voluntary compliance from property owners have been exhausted Public complaints directed to 311 and 911. Response by Code to remove illicit tagging. Paint-overs by businesses, community organizations, and neighborhood groups on limited or ad hoc basis. Clean-up and restoration by neighborhood police officers (NPOs).
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Enhanced Abatement
Traditional abatement will continue as before, but with new partnerships: Multiple City departments handle this ongoing, and expensive, task.
Code Parks EBS Streets PBW
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And new efforts involving citizen volunteers

Creative Abatement Collaborations

Innovative abatement programs: Adopt-A-Block Volunteer Program Community Wipeout

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Adopt A Block Program

Similar to Adopt a Block Highway Program Sustained approach in geographical area

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Volunteer Program
Typically Individuals Abatement throughout the City

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Community Wipe Out Program

Existing Program
Spearheaded by Councilmember Delia Jasso Genie the Giraffe

Organizations, schools, corporations, etc., Geographical Area

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Training Component
Review of City Ordinance Consent Forms Safety Training Paint Disposal Abatement Log and or Photos

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A New Approach
While the enhanced enforcement and abatement programs will help, these efforts represent sticks in changing behavior National best practices suggest carrots can be an important addition to these efforts The concept is to harness the creative energy of some of the violators and show them a different path
One where they can express themselves legally One where can maybe even make some money

This carrot approach does not replace traditional enforcement measures

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A New Partnership
The Graffiti Arts Project is a collaborative effort between the City and known graffiti artists. It offers artists alternatives to random and destructive graffiti like:
- free walls - competitions - opportunities for legitimate employment - publicity for their talents

And the city gets pledges by the artists to cease all other tagging and to work to make it cool to be legal Other cities like Toronto, Phoenix, and Venice, California use similar programs.
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Ben Eine Video

Dallas businessman John Barr interviews former underground London tagger Ben Eine

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Graffiti Arts Project Mission

Seeks to provide graffiti artists an alternative to tagging and to redirect their creative energy in socially acceptable ways and earn public acceptance of their talent. Central to this project is creation of a series of public free walls and semi-permanent public art locations. In return the city gets pledges from all participants not to continue to tag elsewhere and, ideally, less illegal graffiti and to use their influence within their community to enhance the communitys appearance. 21

Alternatives For Artists Under the Graffiti Arts Project

Free Walls Carefully selected walls where any artist or tagger may put up any piece of art or decoration without fear of police intervention. City-sanctioned competitions and opportunities to place controlled graffiti art on public and private property.

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Pilot Project
Dallas Windfest May 12, 2012 Selected graffiti artists were given concrete wall space under the Commerce Street viaduct during the city-sponsored Windfest. Their efforts were well received and generated many favorable comments.

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Donations
Mark Cuban - $100,000 received for supplies and materials related to graffiti abatement Establishing Community Sponsorships Opportunity to donate either cash or purchase items on our wish list New Website www.graffitidallas.com

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Next Steps
Competition this fall at Farmers Market to use graffiti-style art on eight pillars in main market area. Artists will submit proposals to the Friends of the Farmers Market and best designs will be approved for painting the pillars. Small cash award and free publicity for artists. Dallas gets promises from the artists not to tag.
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Reminder
The Dallas Graffiti Arts Program seeks to redirect the talent and energy of known artists and offenders from traditional illegal tagging to a cityapproved program to enhance our city and reduce random, destructive graffiti. It is a supplement to, NOT a substitute for, traditional law enforcement and city restoration of vandalized properties. And it effectively leverages community volunteers to abate destructive graffiti
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Specific Project Goals

Use new enforcement tactics against those who insist on illegal tagging outside this program Maintain effective abatement through new partnerships to restore vandalized properties Provide artists an alternative to illicit tagging and thereby reduce the level of random graffiti in our city.
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QUESTIONS?

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