Graffiti
Graffiti is the vandalism of property without the property owner's permission. The goal of the graffiti-vandal is to have others see their work-- their “tag” or name. Vandals target walls that are not promptly cleaned as this means a “tag” will be visible longer and perhaps seen by more people.
Remove graffiti immediately to deter vandals from returning and defacing your property again. The City's graffiti nuisance ordinance does require removal of graffiti as soon as possible. Property owners can be fined for leaving graffiti on their property.
The SSCPC suggests the following advice, taken from the Public Utilities website found at seattle.gov:
Remove graffiti immediately to deter vandals from returning and defacing your property again. The City's graffiti nuisance ordinance does require removal of graffiti as soon as possible. Property owners can be fined for leaving graffiti on their property.
The SSCPC suggests the following advice, taken from the Public Utilities website found at seattle.gov:
Help prevent graffiti vandalism on your property by:
Graffiti is a CRIME that should be reported. There is no time limitation to reporting this form of vandalism. We recommend taking pictures of the graffiti before you paint it out. Send the pictures along with your report. If the Police are able to apprehend a tagger they can then hold him/her accountable for all of their acts of vandalism as each tagger has his/her own distinctive style of tagging.
You may report graffiti to the Seattle Police Department in a number ways:
- Creating barriers--use fences or vegetation (shrubs, bushes, etc.)
- Keep property well-lit; if possible, install flashing motion-sensor lights
- Monitor activity on your property--join or establish a Block and/or Business Watch; install a surveillance camera
- Move Dumpsters to the ends of alleys and call the waste-removal company should graffiti appear on your bins
- Use protective film covering on windows to make it harder to spray-paint them
- Apply a clear-coat finish to painted and unpainted surfaces--this renders surfaces more difficult to spray-paint
Graffiti is a CRIME that should be reported. There is no time limitation to reporting this form of vandalism. We recommend taking pictures of the graffiti before you paint it out. Send the pictures along with your report. If the Police are able to apprehend a tagger they can then hold him/her accountable for all of their acts of vandalism as each tagger has his/her own distinctive style of tagging.
You may report graffiti to the Seattle Police Department in a number ways:
- If you witness the vandalism in progress, call 9-1-1.
- If the graffiti is a gang tag or contains hate speech please report immediately by calling 9-1-1.
- For graffiti which has occurred on public property or someone else's property, call 206.684.7587 or report online at: Link to Online Reporting.
- For graffiti which occurred on your property, call 206.625.5011 or you may use the Community Online Reporting Program (CORP) form found at: Link to the Form. You can also use the City's Find It, Fix It App. Link to the App.