Keep America Beautiful, Inc. Recognizes Four Cities For Exceptional
Graffiti Prevention Programs
STAMFORD, CT
(CSRwire) STAMFORD, CT -
Keep America Beautiful, Inc. announces the results of its first annual Graffiti
Hurts(R) National Award competition. Innovative graffiti prevention programs in
four cities are the winners: First Response Team in Burlington, VT and Operation
Clean Sweep in New Orleans, LA (first place overall winners); the Baltimore
Police Department in Maryland ("mural" category winner); and Operation
Brightside, Inc. Kansas City, KS (Honorable Mention).
"This Graffiti Hurts(R) awards program honors the best and most innovative
collaborations to combat graffiti," said G. Raymond Empson, president of
Keep America Beautiful, Inc. "Across the country we’re seeing creative
and proactive ways to achieve lasting community improvement. These Graffiti
Hurts(R) winners are taking responsibility for their environment and Keep
America Beautiful is proud to recognize their achievements."
Graffiti Hurts(R) was developed in 1996 through a partnership between
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s largest nonprofit education and community
improvement organization, and The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE: SHW), maker of
Krylon paint. Graffiti Hurts(R) provides community resources and promotes
best practices for graffiti prevention.
The competition drew over 60 entries from 26 states representing the best of
local governments, police departments, nonprofit volunteer organizations and
other groups dedicated to eradicating graffiti vandalism. Winning programs
receive a cash award, a plaque, and local and national recognition. The four
program winners also will present their program best practices at Keep America
Beautiful’s 51st annual national conference, during a special conference
session on December 1st in Washington, DC.
Award winners were selected by an independent panel of judges, who included
Michelle Gregory, The Sherwin-Williams Company; Rosemary DeMenno the National
Crime Prevention Council; Mike Zaleski, Hartford Proud and Beautiful; Deborah
Lamm Weisel, North Carolina State University, and author of the U.S. Department
of Justice Community Oriented Policing Service publication,
"Graffiti"; and Conni Kunzler, Consultant to Graffiti Hurts(R).
"The Graffiti Hurts(R) program demonstrates that effective
public-private partnerships have a positive impact and make a difference in
communities," said Christopher M. Connor, chairman and CEO of The
Sherwin-Williams Company. "It enhances community awareness about the
complex nature of graffiti and what can be done at a local level in terms of
prevention, removal and education. Sherwin-Williams is committed to
strengthening communities and protecting our environment through programs like Graffiti
Hurts(R)."
About Keep America Beautiful, Inc. and Graffiti Hurts(R)
Keep America Beautiful, Inc. is a national nonprofit public education and
community improvement organization whose network of nearly 1,000 affiliate and
participating organizations engages individuals in programs that prevent litter
and reduce, reuse, recycle and properly manage waste materials. Through
partnerships and strategic alliances with citizens, businesses and government,
Keep America Beautiful’s programs motivate millions of volunteers annually to
clean up, beautify and improve their neighborhoods, creating safer and more
livable community environments.
To learn more about Keep America Beautiful, or its National Conference Graffiti
Prevention session, visit www.kab.org. For more information about Graffiti
Hurts(R) and its resources to help communities prevent graffiti, visit www.graffitihurts.org
or contact graffitihurts@kab.org.
About the Graffit Hurts Award Winners
First Response Team in Burlington, VT
Since its launch in December 2001, First Response Team has repaired graffiti
vandalism in over 900 locations, racked up over 1,700 volunteer hours, painted
seven murals in high-graffiti areas, and in a local survey found that 92% of
respondents reported a decrease in graffiti in their neighborhood. With an
operating budget of $37,000, the program includes removal within 72 hours,
weekly volunteer cleanups, volunteer training, youth service learning, adopt a
block, mural and other restorative activities, and community service
opportunities for prosecuted graffiti vandals.
Operation Clean Sweep in New Orleans, LA
Through a grassroots effort and a shoe-string budget of just under $30,000 a
year, Operation Clean Sweep has painted out over 10,000 tags and reduced
graffiti 65% overall in the City of New Orleans, and 85% in the French Quarter.
Building on broad local media support, and working with over 40 neighborhood
associations, youth groups, churches, schools, and the New Orleans Police
Department, Operation Clean Sweep has initiated a program that is reducing crime
and bringing a better quality of life to the City.
Baltimore Police Department in Maryland
The Baltimore Police Department and Access Art, a local youth art center, teamed
up on the "Mural Project," a creative outlet for Baltimore City youth
that discourages tagging in favor of public displays of positive community
images. The premise is that to change attitudes and behaviors, young people must
participate in their neighborhoods. Following 50 hours of professional art
instruction and education to promote civic responsibility, the youth conceived
and created a 25 x 75 foot mural showing residents in different stages of
community involvement. Youth who would otherwise be involved in graffiti
vandalism became advocates for cleaning up the neighborhood and acting as role
models for other youth. In 2003, Baltimore City painted over 500,000 square feet
of graffiti at a cost of $350,000.
Operation Brightside, Inc. Kansas City, KS
In 2003, to respond to an increase in graffiti, the Unified Government of
Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS built a coalition of public and private
organizations to assess the graffiti problem and design a solution. This
Graffiti Task Force targeted ordinance changes, expanded public and youth
education, and coordinated a new abatement effort. After one year, a total of
644 graffiti cleanup projects were completed, 96% of calls to the graffiti
hotline have been resolved, and the new code enforcement process is providing
victims with free assistance.