Art or Crime: Know What Vandalism and

Graffiti Can Cost Businesses

Graffiti used to be seen only in parks, bus stops or bridges. Now, it can be anywhere the eye can see. Since the invention of spray paint, Australia has been battling graffiti and vandalism.

Many companies suffer from some amount of vandalism and graffiti at some point, which can be particularly devastating. Often, part of a gang activity is to express their feelings through painting something on commercial properties. But, there are other groups who choose to severely damage a property – broke the windows and doors, spray walls or make senseless doodles on floors. The true cost of vandalism is more than what many people can imagine.

Repairs

A&I Coatings

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If a business does not have property insurance, it will shoulder all the costs of fixing the damaged property. It is a hassle for anyone to remove spray-painted graffiti from walls and floors, replace glass windows and repair defective equipment. The big problem for some is the lack of resources to deal with the issue. The repair and replacement is truly a costly burden for business owners.

Disruption to Work

The impact of vandalised structures on a business can mean lost productivity due to time spent dealing with it. Waiting for insurance assessors and police

officers to conduct investigation, business owners can put daily operations on hold. Thus, the risk of losing business is high. For manufacturing companies, for instance, broken machinery or tracking system can delay the process of orders. Walls and floors with graffiti cannot allow workers to focus on finishing tasks. A fleet of vehicles with slashed tires, on the other hand, cannot deliver goods. Business interruption can affect a business’s finances – earnings and unnecessary expenses.

Lost Profit

This is probably the last thing a business owner wants to encounter. Vandalism can keep clothing stores, bake shops, restaurants and other

businesses from operating. As a result, they can lose customers and earn less. To prevent losing potential sales and reducing business hours, a company must have a prevention plan. This can include using fluoro polymer coatings, installing CCTV cameras, make walls less attractive or hire security offers.

Knowing the cost of vandalism is downright challenging, but it carries a significant financial burden. For companies who suffered thousands or millions of damages, they consider vandalism as a never-ending, costly process.

Resources:

http://www.aicoatings.com.au/fluoropolymer/

http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Graffiti1.pdf

http://goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/schools/faq-students/how-much-is-being-spent-on-graffiti-removal