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The $$$$ of Graffiti;
Although the real amount of money spent by
communities, private property owners, small
business and public agencies each year to
repair, replace, and clean up property
defaced by graffiti vandalism has yet to be
definitively documented in Australia, we do
know through Graffiti Hurts-Australia’s
research that Local Governments alone across
Australia spend approx $260 million annually
on graffiti vandalism removal.
Together with countless man hours, this
money and time could be otherwise spent on
improving public services and for other
productive purposes.
As an indicator of the community’s civic
pride and tolerance of vandalism, the
presence of graffiti can trigger a decline
in property values and cause potential home
buyers and businesses to look in other areas
or communities. The economic impact on local
businesses can be great as customers decide
to shop in other neighbourhoods where they
feel and think are safer.
Graffiti vandalism can also lead to the
potential loss of funding for community
organisation, youth groups and school
programs. Businesses and schools which
remove graffiti vandalism are spending money
that could be used for such programs or
employing more people.
Social Costs
What cannot be measured in lost dollars and
business is the very real impact graffiti
vandalism has on the fabric of the community
and society itself. Graffiti vandalism in
public areas sends a message to the
community that the places where they live
and work and the public transportation they
use are no longer controlled by the agencies
responsible. Its appearance in
neighbourhoods is often perceived by
residents and passers-by as a sign that a
downward spiral has begun, even through this
many not be true.
More importantly, users of the building,
park, or public facility where graffiti
vandalism has occurred may feel that if this
so called minor crime is tolerated, then
other more serious crimes may also go
unchallenged.
This perception of increased personal risk
can also be carried over into neighbourhoods.
Left alone, graffiti vandalism is one in a
sequence of events in the decline of pride
within a neighbourhood known as the “broken
window” syndrome.
According to sociologist George Kelling, “If
a window in a building is broken and left
unrepaired, all of the rest of the windows
will soon be broken. One unrepaired window
is a signal the no-one cares, and so
breaking more windows costs nothing.”
Graffiti vandalism left untouched invites
others to add their marks as well, because
the property owners or neighbourhood has
surrendered control to the vandal and
lawbreaker.
One of the issues that Graffiti
Hurts-Australia believes needs addressing
and why our existence, is to highlight that
graffiti has never been a government issue,
it’s a whole community issue.
The show of community pride and the active
participation in reporting, eradication,
enhancement and maintenance of community
assets helps governments, their agencies and
public utilities to allocate some of the
$260 million plus spent of removal towards
other community projects and development. |
