Beach biz declares war on graffiti
[attach]990[/attach]Persistent vandalism in The Beach forced the local business improvement association to enlist the services of a private company to clean up graffiti.
Before the BIA contracted Goodbye Graffiti, a Canadian company with franchises in the United States, merchants were held responsible to remove the graffiti from their property.
Although Community Centre 55 has helped with the removal, a lack of resources prevents them from doing so year round.
The year-long contract between Goodbye Graffiti and the business association began in August.
“They were hired because we realized it is a full-time job to stay on top of our graffiti problem,” said Deborah Etsten, executive director of The Beach BIA.
She added merchants are pleased with the decision.
“If they don’t remove it, city enforcement will and then bill them,” she said.
“It becomes a double burden for them, especially if they don’t have the means to stay on top of it themselves.”
John Kalimeris, Beach resident and owner of the Toronto’s Goodbye Graffiti, said it is currently one of the worst areas of the city for graffiti.
“Immediate removal is the best way to solve graffiti problems,” he said.
If the smaller tags are cleaned up, he said, it discourages vandals from creating bigger ones. If they see it is always being cleaned up, they eventually give up, he said.
Constable Robert MacDonald of 55 Division agrees.
In his work as the crime prevention officer in the division, he is well aware of the graffiti problem, but assures residents it is not gang related.
He said it is challenging to patrol because, “it is very difficult to catch them in the act. “They often do it at night and it only takes a couple of seconds to do a tag,” he said.
Although it may only take a few seconds and a cheap can of spray paint to do the deed, getting rid of it takes a lot more time and money. Volunteers for Community Centre 55 would take on the task of removing the unwanted tags during the summer.
However, a lack of city funding has not allowed the centre to continue its work throughout the year.
“It’s a shame the community had to go to this extent,” Const. MacDonald said. “Companies like Goodbye Graffiti have found a business niche in the community.”
Bob Murdoch, executive director of Community Centre 55, said the neighbourhood’s graffiti problem has a negative effect on the property values in the area.
He added the only way to stay on top of graffiti is by removing it right away.
“We’re not here to debate the differences between art and vandalism,” he said. “You can paint the Mona Lisa on a side of a building, but if it’s unwanted, it’s still vandalism.”