Graffiti has been an issue I have campaigned on for many years,
since the late 1980s.
In
the early 90s I relocated from South Australia to the up and coming,
newly designed suburb of Cranbourne in Melbourne’s booming
South east. Like many I watched the intrusion of graffiti encroach
upon park fences, play equipment, homes, and businesses. Frustrated
by a lack of action to this blight, I approached locals, businesses
and residents to explore viable programs that would return Cranbourne
to the dream area promoted in real estate brochures.
We approached Casey council - who like most councils back then,
only removed graffiti off their own buildings, leaving the majority
to fend for themselves. In those days Casey actually referred
to these vandals as artists and supported youth graffiti workshops!
RAGE
invited experts from interstate to speak to locals and Casey council
on successful initiatives that had beaten the scourge interstate
and overseas. We spruiked the benefits of the City of Onkaparinga.
This municipality had beaten graffiti vandalism in the 1990,s
by initiating a toll free number for residents and businesses
to report graffiti, removed graffiti off private property at council
cost, established a tag database to map offenders, and recouped
cleanup costs from vandals. The council also ran an education
program. -- Why should the victim (home owners, businesses) be
saddled with graffiti removal costs, we asked?
In
2000, RAGE collected approximately 2000 signatures and petitioned
Casey council to implement a similar graffiti abatement program.
Rage also contacted the office of former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
in New York, and submitted a comprehensive program to Casey
council-(program enclosed) detailing the steps needed to initiate
a successful graffiti abatement program.
It
took a number of years of campaigning, but finally Casey council
backed our campaign with dollars and budgeting, and implemented
a comprehensive graffiti abatement program. Casey is now a showcase
in graffiti management.
RAGE
has hosted visits, from police as far away as the United States
and the Netherlands, and we continue to build networks with
local and international agencies.
RAGE
has continued to launch many clean up programs, including adopt a rail
station, and lobbied across the State for tougher graffiti laws, aerosol
can bans, tougher penalties, and for councils to adopt a consistent
approach to graffiti management, modelled on Casey.
If
you live in Casey, you can report graffiti on 1800-VANDAL. In most cases
it will be removed within 24 hours, including private property. The
removal cost is covered by the city.
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