Graffiti prevention tips for homeowners


Graffiti sends the signal that nobody cares, attracting other forms of crime and street delinquency to a neighborhood. The U.S. Department of Justice reports "graffiti contributes to lost revenue associated with reduced ridership on transit systems, reduced retail sales and declines in property value." The appearance of graffiti heightens resident fear and is often perceived as a sign that a downward spiral has begun, even though this may not be true.


How can a homeowner prevent graffiti?


Keep up appearances

Make every effort to keep the appearance of your residence clean and neat, an exterior appearance that suggests apathy and neglect attracts vandals. Litter, broken fences, overgrown landscaping and poor lighting all send a message to vandals that property owners are not attentive or do not care.


Remove graffiti quickly

Rapid and continual removal of graffiti is the best way for homeowners to protect their property and preserve the image of their neighborhood. Studies show that removal within 24 to 48 hours results in a nearly zero rate of reoccurrence. Also, report upon noticing graffiti on public property to city or county agencies for rapid removal.


Build in prevention

Incorporate shrubs, thorny plants and vines to restrict vandal access to residence walls, fences, sheds, garages and other graffiti targets. Add or improve lighting around your property to promote natural surveillance. Contact the Community Policing Unit at 459-3341 for information about the alley lighting program for those areas that are dark and often hit with graffiti. Consider a home security system and post signs that such a system is in operation. For condo or coop owners, work with residential property managers to incorporate graffiti prevention into building security.


Work with neighbors and law enforcement

Talk and discuss (who, what, where, when) with your neighbors the graffiti that has been in the neighborhood, and share that information with the Street Crimes Unit. Work with neighbors on prevention methods. Organize a neighborhood association and incorporate the Neighborhood Watch Program. For more information, contact Sheboygan Neighborhood Pride, Inc., officer Priebe at 459-3341.


What should a homeowner do if their property is hit with graffiti?

Report: Contact the police to report graffiti vandalism using the non-emergency number, 459-3333. An incident report is a common requirement of insurance companies.


Identify: Work with police officers to identify if taggers or gangs are doing the graffiti. If it is gang graffiti, ask law enforcement about any safety concerns.


Remove: Remove graffiti promptly and completely