| Multiple efforts aimed at graffiti |
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The city of Tempe has mobilized to tackle graffiti throughout the city and residents and businesses are asked to join in the effort. Prevention, education and rapid response are the keys to this citywide effort. City employees are providing educational information to residents, businesses and young people. And city operations are being refined in order to respond more quickly and completely in covering graffiti that does occur. Prevention and education Tempe Police educate residents and businesses in preventing crimes, including graffiti, by taking measures like: installing good lighting; displaying no trespassing signs; setting up surveillance equipment; hiring security officers; and establishing an active block watch. A new informational graffiti brochure will be distributed to neighborhoods, businesses and citizen groups soon. Tempe Police School Resource Officers also will continue working with students to discuss graffiti prevention.
Rapid response A proven way of decreasing graffiti is to remove it as soon as possible, so the city of Tempe is employing several methods to do just that. If you are witnessing graffiti being painted, call the Tempe Police non-emergency number at 480-350-8311. Officers are immediately dispatched to in-progress graffiti calls for service. The department also is working to pinpoint potential or repeat graffiti locations to assist with enforcement. Residents and businesses are asked to immediately paint over any graffiti on their property. According to city code, property owners are responsible for painting over graffiti on private property within 10 days. Graffiti on public property can be reported to the city’s graffiti hotline at 480-350-8384 or www.tempe.gov/graffiti and the city’s Street Maintenance division will paint over it, usually within 24 hours. The Tempe City Council, during discussions on the 2008-09 city budget, identified and approved funding for a new "graffiti buster" truck for the Public Works department. The truck will be equipped with technology and equipment enabling city workers to accurately match paint colors and thoroughly spray areas covered by graffiti. This innovation will improve the look of painted-over graffiti and will improve response times to graffiti calls by allowing crews to work more efficiently. Tempe Police Crime Prevention Officers are working with Tempe businesses to ensure that, per city ordinances, spray paint is locked in display cases and only sold to patrons 18 and older. Follow-up inspections will be conducted to ensure that these ordinances are being observed.
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