Graffiti Tagging and Vandalism

Graffiti is a gateway crime and many of the vandals that damage public or private property go on to commit more serious crimes.  This is especially true in many of the lower socio-economic areas and areas with a high gang presence.

One analogy I read that makes sense is that just like the coal-miners used to use canaries to test whether it was safe to enter the mine, the criminals use tagging as a way of testing community policing and Neighbourhood Watch.

Psychologically graffiti sends a signal that vandalism and crime are accepted in the area and discourages investment from business owners in that community. 

For that reason, the general consensus is that graffiti should be removed within 1-2 days at the most.  The sooner the better.  The other reason is it removes the tagger's street cred.  Around 75-80% of graffiti is tagging and the tags are often identified as being the work of one individual.  The larger and more brazen the tag the more street cred the tagger gets.  Don't let them get traction.  Remove graffiti quickly.

A different type of undesirable graffiti is gang-related. Especially in the USA, this tagging is designed to mark a gang's territory and to signal illegal drug sales, etc.  These are often located on corner buildings and often have large black symbols.

Another 10% of graffiti is undesirable, gang-related graffiti, often designed to claim territory for drug sales and other illegal activities from rival gangs. These tags are often black spray paint, have large symbols, and are located on corner buildings. 

Graffiti is a gateway crime but there is a fine line between unlawful and unsightly tagging and Graffiti Art

The remaining 10% of graffiti is street art or graffiti art.  Street art is generally not harmful and is designed to be visually stimulating and create visual interest.  I guess it is a bit like tattoos.  You either love them or hate then but most of us can appreciate the skill that goes into creating them.  The same applies with street art.

Street art though does pose a conundrum.  Visually it looks a lot like tagging and in itself, it can be tagged by others.  As a rule, though street art targets public buildings rather than private businesses and I guess the tolerance for this is determined on a council-by-council basis. 

Certainly, overseas and London is one example, there are whole areas that are festooned with quality street art and these areas have become an attraction in their own right.

Regardless though, if you want to remove tagging or graffiti using safe and environmentally friendly products then the Graffiti-ENZ and Amazing Super Wipe products are perfect for the job.