City Council to target rising graffiti problem

By John Ramsey
Rocky Mount Telegram

Monday, September 11, 2006

Increasing amounts of graffiti have plagued Rocky Mount recently.

And during today's City Council meeting, the council will discuss adding an ordinance designed to reduce graffiti and speed up its removal.

The ordinance includes penalties for graffiti artists as well as fines for property owners who do not remove graffiti from their buildings within five days of notification by the city. It also includes fines for anyone younger than 18 possessing spray paint, a broad-tipped marker or other graffiti instrument on school grounds, public places, at bridges, culverts or any home that the juvenile does not reside in, unless the juvenile can prove he is using the marker or spray paint for lawful purposes.

"I don't want to see (graffiti) anywhere in Rocky Mount," said Police Chief John Manley, who referred to graffiti as "the newspaper of the street."

"It sends a bad message. It tells the criminal element, 'We're free to do what we want.'"

The police department researched graffiti ordinances in several cities – including Richmond, Va., and Greenville, S.C. – and also relied on a model ordinance from the N.C. League of Municipalities.

Gangs communicate with one another through graffiti, Manley said. Property owners who do not remove the graffiti are practically contributing to the problem, he said.

The ordinance makes it a misdemeanor both to spray graffiti on any public or private property and for a person to fail to remove graffiti from his or her private property.

Property owners may face up to a $100 fine for not removing graffiti. Fines will stop for property owners if the property is victimized more than twice within the same calendar year.

Teens possessing graffiti tools could face up to a $100 fine on first offense, $250 fine on second offense and $500 fine on each subsequent offense. The same fines apply to anyone caught applying graffiti.

Manley said he discussed a graffiti ordinance with the council during a retreat in April.