Thanks to the hard work of several Alberta Avenue stakeholders, graffiti vandalism has seen a reduction from 22 new tags a week to just four.  

“Every Monday, I would drive to work and just dread all the new graffiti,” said Joachim Holtz, executive director of Alberta Avenue Business Association (AABA). “Since I contacted Capital City Clean Up to work together on a solution, I’m not noticing as many tags.”

Over the last several years, AABA has been a strong supporter of Capital City Clean Up. “It is exciting to see the dramatic transformations that happen in a community in such a short time when we all work together,” said Karey Steil, graffiti program manager of Capital City Clean Up.

The steep drop in tags is the result of diligent reporting to 311, public education, and City of Edmonton municipal enforcement officer Colin Stewart talking to property owners about the importance of removing graffiti quickly. Arts on the Ave, AABA, and Capital City Clean Up are also working with Rust Magic Street Mural Festival to get two great murals in the community.

Graffiti vandalism is the most visible and prominent crime in a neighbourhood and can make communities appear unsafe and unwelcoming. As soon as graffiti appears in an area, taggers are marking their territory and will expand that territory quickly.

Removing graffiti right away is the best way to prevent it from recurring and spreading.  If you have graffiti on your property, Capital City Clean Up offers a Professional Graffiti Cleaning Program. Property owners qualify for $750 of free graffiti cleaning each year.

For more information, please call 311 or visit edmonton.ca/graffiti.

Featured Image: Graffiti can make a neighbourhood look unsafe and unwelcoming. | Pixabay