from the administrator

in action

Shay BilchikAdministrator

BULL

ETIN

NATIO

NAL YOUTH NETWORK

from the administrator

DEP

ARTMENT OF JUSTICE

OF

FIC

E

OF JUSTICE PRO

GR

AM

S

BJA

N

IJOJJ DP BJS

OV

C

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice ProgramsOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

December 1998 NUMBER 02

Wipe Out Vandalismand Graffiti

How Does an Antivandalismor Antigraffiti ProjectPrevent or Reduce Crime?

Intentionally damaging property, public orprivate, is a crime. Vandalized, graffiti-marked,and messy property generates unease and saysto the public that the neighborhood, school,or community is not valued by its residents.It drives up insurance costs and taxes for every-one. Getting rid of vandalism-related damagehelps reduce fear, increases public use of thearea, restores the appearance of the community,and reassures the victims (including commu-nity residents) that people do care about theproblem. Quickly removing graffiti from

What Is Vandalism?

Vandalism is the willful destruction or deface-ment of public or private property. This in-cludes smashing mailboxes, trashing someone’sproperty, drawing graffiti on public places,breaking windows, and destroying abandonedbuildings. Vandalism costs schools, homeowners,businesses, youth, and others more than$15 billion a year.

Projects against vandalism and graffiti seek toget rid of, reduce, or repair the willful destruc-tion or defacement of property. Antivandalismactivities can include:

◆ Repairing damage caused by vandalism.

◆ Educating others about the costs ofvandalism.

◆ Sponsoring a graffiti paintout.

◆ Organizing the beautification of a plotof land that is piled high with trash.

The activity might be a one-timeproject or a yearlong effort,depending on your group’sinterests and resources.

Wipe Out Vandalismand Graffiti

Vandalism and graffitiare not pranks—they’re crimes, and

costly ones. That is why it’s important thatyou do what you can to wipe them out in your

community. There are several things that can bedone. This Bulletin tells you how to get started and

suggests some activities you could organize. Workingto combat crimes like vandalism and graffiti is achallenge, but it is one that can be met—and as

the rewards of a safer community arerealized, you will be glad you

did your part.

2

publicly visible spaces is one of the mosteffective means of discouraging it.

Educational campaigns help youth and othersunderstand what’s wrong with vandalism, how ithurts the community, and why it is a crime. Oneaspect of vandalism that is rarely realized is thecost of repairing vandalized property. Moneythat was supposed to go toward extracurricularschool activities is often used to repair thedestruction caused by vandalism. Youth whounderstand the effects of vandalism are lesslikely to vandalize and less likely to toleratevandalism.

Students in Lexington, KY, worked with schoolofficials to repair and repaint vandalized schoolbathrooms. Damage dropped dramatically oncethe new facilities were in place. In NorthCharleston, SC, students cleaned up graffitiand other damage around the school to helpmake the neighborhood more attractive.Students in San Antonio, TX, covered a once-vandalized wall with an attractive mural.

What Does It Take To Startan Antivandalism orAntigraffiti Project?

Choose a Project

First you need to choose the approach you’lluse. Do you want to educate or repair andrestore or both? Before you start your ownproject, check with local law enforcementorganizations, civic associations, NeighborhoodWatch groups, and others in the communityabout antivandalism or antigraffiti efforts thatmight already be under way. One such exampleis the Greater D.C. Cares organization, whichsponsors Servathon, an annual volunteer day.For Servathon ’98, 4,000 volunteers painted,weeded, cleared trash, and removed graffiti at57 sites around the Washington, D.C., area (TheWashington Post, May 3, 1998). You may beable to join such a group or work in ways thatcomplement its efforts. You may also be able toshare information, materials, or tools.

Educating the Public

If you have decided to educate the public aboutvandalism and graffiti, you will need to decideon your target audience. Is it your peers inschool? Younger students? Adults in thecommunity? What do they already know aboutvandalism and what do you need to help themlearn? How much time can you spend oneducating the group? You will need to matchyour time and resources with the size of thegroup and the education tasks you want toaccomplish.

Repairing Damage

If you’ve decided to work on repairing damagecaused by vandalism, you will need to identifya place, or places, where your group will work.Talk with the property owner (whether a privateowner or the local government or school

Planning a Successful Project

For more information on how to plan a successful project,see the National Youth Network’s Planning a SuccessfulCrime Prevention Project. This 28-page workbook explainsthe five steps of the Success Cycle:

◆ Assessing Your Community’s Needs.

◆ Planning a Successful Project.

◆ Lining Up Resources.

◆ Acting on Your Plans.

◆ Nurturing, Monitoring, and Evaluating.

The workbook includes six worksheets for you to takenotes on. You can get a copy of this planning workbookfrom the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, listed in theResources section.

3

district) to obtain permission. You might evenget an offer of help in the form of paint, brooms,trash bags, or refreshments! Check out organi-zations that deal with neighborhood beautifica-tion in your community. They are often lookingfor eager volunteers.

In Caldwell, ID, youth and adult volunteershave formed a graffiti removal task force. Runby the Idaho Chamber of Commerce in coordi-nation with the police and other local agencies,the task force keeps graffiti removal equipmentat the Chamber’s downtown site. As graffitiis spotted in the community, the task forcecoordinator is alerted. The coordinator immedi-ately calls on volunteers to remove the graffiti.This system has been so successful that thelocal juvenile court has asked to be able toassign youth to serve with the task force as partof their court-ordered community service fornonviolent crimes.

Identify Resources and Make a Plan

Whatever project your group decides on, youwill need to develop a plan of the steps in-volved in starting your project, carrying it out,and completing it. Identify the resources you’llneed—the number of volunteers and the skillsthey’ll need, as well as the materials they willrequire (such as tools, paints, etc.). Try tocollect these resources through donations tokeep costs down. Check with hardware andhome repair stores, businesses that have theirown maintenance staff, school maintenancestaffs, and parents to see if they would bewilling to donate materials to your project.

Decide as part of the plan how you will mea-sure the success of your project. Will peoplerepeat your antigraffiti or antivandalism mes-sage to friends and family? Will the buildingremain graffiti free for at least 6 months? Willyour restored areas (e.g., repaired windows)remain intact?

Recruit and Train Volunteers

The main ingredient in a successful antivandal-ism or antigraffiti project is a committed groupof volunteers. Once you have gathered volun-teers to participate in your project and decidedon your specific activities, you will need toprovide some training.

Training will make sure that all participantsunderstand the goals and objectives of yourproject, that they have the skills necessary toperform tasks, and that they know how tohandle problems. Training also builds team-work among your volunteers and develops theskills needed for the success of your project.

You will need to plan such details as:

◆ When and where a training session will

take place.

◆ Contents and procedures of a

training session.

◆ What, if any, additional materials

will be needed.

You may also need to enlist the help of suchprofessionals as law enforcement officers,victim assistance professionals, school securitystaff, trainers from corporations, lawyers, and

community volunteer agencies.

Be sure each specific part of the training isplanned. This will do much to ensure thesuccess of your effort. Professional trainersknow that preparation and organization are

A Word of Warning

If you are thinking of cleaning up graffiti, be sure to workclosely with your local police or sheriff’s department. Ganggraffiti is used to mark turf and to communicate betweengangs. This type of graffiti may contain information that isimportant to police antigang efforts. You may need toselect another site to avoid any potential danger from gangmembers or to preserve graffiti for police analysis.

4

adult—treat vandalism. Students in Hibbingand Chisholm, MN, wrote public servicemessages that were later broadcast on localradio stations.

◆ Start a hotline in cooperation with police andschool officials to report vandalism. In somehigh schools, Crimestoppers, through itsScholastic Crimestoppers program, offerssuch services.

◆ Organize a graffiti cleanup crew. Immediatelycleaning up graffiti whenever it appears helpsthe community look better and discouragesfurther vandalism.

What Does It Take To Keep anAntivandalism or AntigraffitiProject Going?

As with any program, continuing to recruitvolunteers is very important, especially if yourproject is a long-term or multisite one. Also,involving community sponsors who will con-tinue their support throughout the life of theproject helps sustain your effort.

As you take care of the most immediate issuesof your project, you may want to shift yourfocus to more long-term solutions. For example,the use of crime prevention through environ-mental design (CPTED) means that by makingimprovements in the physical space near or atyour worksite, you may make it less attractiveto vandals. Some CPTED methods include:

◆ Improving the lighting and landscaping ofyour area.

◆ Using a different kind of paint that can’teasily be covered with graffiti. (A paintspecialty store or your school maintenancestaff can advise you on the type of paintto use.)

◆ Installing fences and putting in securitycameras.

80 percent of good training. The table aboveis a guideline of training hours for an anti-vandalism project and other crime preventionprojects.

Other Possible Projects

Here are some ideas for projects:

◆ Work with a Neighborhood Watch group tostart a “square mile” or “block by block”program in which youth and others takeresponsibility for the cleanliness of an areaand work with residents to maintain it. Youthin several major cities in England took onthese challenges as summer projects.

◆ Write articles for the school newspaper onthe cost of graffiti, its impact on the schoolbudget, and how the courts—juvenile and

Estimated Training Time for YouthCrime Prevention Projects

Number ofProject Training Hours

Community cleanup 1–4

Fairs and displays to educate the public 1–5

Vandalism prevention 2–3

Escort/check-in service for senior citizens 2–3

Shoplifting prevention education 2–4

Neighborhood Watch 4–5

School crime watch 4–6

Home security surveys 4–8

Plays and puppet programs 4–10

Victim/witness assistance 5–20

Teen court 10–120

Teaching child protection 16–20

Counseling of peers or others 20–30

Hotlines 20–30

Mediation 25–30

5

If you consider some of these CPTED actions,you will have to think about their costs. Manyof these strategies can be good investments andreduce future repair costs created by vandal-ism, but they may require sizable initialinvestments. These large repairs should mostlikely be done in partnership with local govern-ment or school officials.

What Are Some of theChallenges in Starting anAntivandalism or AntigraffitiProject?

One danger is taking on too much. Be realistic.You and your group of volunteers won’t be ableto fix or prevent every instance of vandalism,but you can make a substantial difference ifyou stick to the goals of your project and arepersistent. Sometimes graffiti writers comeback to a particular site three or four times tosee whether you’ll keep cleaning it up. Yourfollowthrough will work to defeat them.

Maintaining Interest

Another challenge is keeping volunteers andsponsors interested and involved in theproject. This requires ongoing attention.Making cleanup work fun, publicizing theresults of your project, helping people buildnew skills as they work on the project, cel-ebrating your successes, and thanking spon-sors and volunteers are all ways to keep theminvolved in your project. Let local newsmedia—TV stations, radio stations, andcommunity newspapers—know about yourproject and its activities.

Maintaining Resources

Finding financial resources and support in thecommunity also can be a challenge. Having a

1 National Crime Prevention Council, What, meevaluate? Washington, DC: National Crime PreventionCouncil, 1986.

clear set of goals and a sound plan for yourproject will make it more attractive to potentialfunders and supporters. Thinking of goods andservices you need rather than just asking forcash can open doors. Looking for opportunitiesto borrow equipment rather than buying it cancut your costs. Getting donated studio time torecord radio ads is easier and less expensivethan renting recording equipment. Asking forvolunteers from businesses and schools in yourneighborhood expands your group and buildspartnerships.

What Are Some of the Rewardsof Participating in anAntivandalism or AntigraffitiProject?

One of the most important rewards of yourproject will be a cleaner, safer neighborhoodthat is used more by law-abiding residents. Apark that was once an eyesore can be cleanedup and recaptured for community use. Peoplein your neighborhood will feel increased pridein their public spaces, and members of yourcleanup crew will gain a new sense of self-worth and of their role in the community.

How Can Your Project BeEvaluated?

Evaluating your project can help you learnwhether it has met its goals, but only if youdecide up front what you want to evaluate andhow you will go about doing so. The purpose ofconducting an evaluation is “to answer practi-cal questions of decision-makers and programimplementors who want to know whether tocontinue a program, extend it to other sites,modify it, or close it down.”1 You will want to

6

be able to show that your project does one or allof the following:

◆ Reduces crime.

◆ Reduces fear of crime.

◆ Is cost effective.

◆ Has a lasting impact.

◆ Attracts support and resources.

◆ Makes people feel safe and better aboutbeing in your school or community.

To evaluate your antigraffiti or antivandalismproject, reflect on your original goals. Weregraffiti and vandalism reduced in your schoolor neighborhood? Did you reach all the people

in the neighborhood you intended to? Did themessage of your project reach other youth? Didthey learn what you were trying to teach them?Are young people more aware of the costs anddangers of vandalism and graffiti? Be sure toinclude an evaluation step in your overall plan.Ask yourself what you can do better to reachyour goals, to involve more people in yourproject, and to spread your messages to a wideraudience. Then, make adjustments to youractivities to strengthen your project.

Learning to evaluate the things you do is a goodskill; one you can apply to all aspects of yourlife. Good luck with your project and—Go for it!

7

Resources

For more information, contact one of the follow-ing organizations or visit the U.S. Department ofJustice Kids Page Web site at www.usdoj.gov/kidspage. This site includes information for kids,youth, parents, and teachers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America1230 West Peachtree Street NW.Atlanta, GA 30309404–815–5700404–815–5789 (Fax)Internet: www.bgca.org

Juvenile Justice ClearinghouseP.O. Box 6000Rockville, MD 20849–6000800–638–8736301–519–5212 (Fax)Internet: www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm

Keep America Beautiful, Inc.1010 Washington BoulevardStamford, CT 06901203–323–8987Internet: www.kab.org

National Crime Prevention Council1700 K Street NW., Second FloorWashington, DC 20006–3817202–466–6272Internet: www.ncpc.org

Scholastic CrimestoppersCrimestoppers InternationalLarry Wieda4441 Prairie Trail DriveLoveland, CO 80537303–441–3327303–441–4327 (Fax)Internet: www.c-s-i.org

This Bulletin was produced by the National CrimePrevention Council as part of the National Citizens’Crime Prevention Campaign under a cooperativeagreement with the Bureau of Justice Assistance(BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Departmentof Justice. The National Crime Prevention Councilis a nonprofit organization that conducts demonstra-tion and youth-based programs, produces publica-tions and training materials on a variety of subjects,and manages the day-to-day activities of theNational Citizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign.Points of view or opinions expressed in thisdocument are those of the authors and do notnecessarily represent the official position or policiesof the Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention, BJA, or the U.S. Department of Justice.

The National Youth Network, founded and managedby the Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention, consists of diverse youth leaders fromacross the Nation who are sponsored by youth-serving organizations. The goal of the Network is torecognize and build upon the power and importanceof youth leadership by uniting young people andadults, through communication and action, toenable youth organizations and nonaffiliated youthto have a positive, formidable impact in our commu-nities and throughout our Nation.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention is a component of the Office of JusticePrograms, which also includes the Bureau of JusticeAssistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, theNational Institute of Justice, and the Office forVictims of Crime.

Youth in Action Bulletin NCJ–171122

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Washington, DC 20531

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300

PRESORTED STANDARDPOSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDPPERMIT NO. G–91