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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2013)
8 • The Southwest Portland Post NEWS June 2013 Citizen involvement needed to prevent, report and remove graffiti CRIME PREVENTION NOTEBOOK By Erik Vidstrand The Southwest Portland Post Almost $3 million taxpayer dollars. That’s the amount spent each year eradicating graffiti in the Portland metro area. But if you think this only happens in the inner city or on freeway signs, you’re mistaken. Graffiti is a growing problem, ac- cording to Stefanie Adams, crime prevention coordinator for South- west Portland, especially in the Southwest. “No community is immune,” Adams stated. “But the public and business owners can do something about it.” When there is a problem with defacing public property, there is a feeling of an uptick in crime. When graffiti is not removed, it can attract more crime. Finally, graffiti doesn’t necessarily mean there is a gang problem. “Eighty-five percent of this prob- lem is the act of a tagger,” Adams ex- plained. “They want notoriety, get an adrenalin rush from it, and tagging is a way of leaving their moniker like a type of ‘business card.’” So what to do about it? Adams pre- sented several options at the monthly Multnomah Neighborhood Associa- tion meeting in May. Prevent. Remove graffiti as soon as possible. That means within 24-48 hours. Lighting a property that gets plagued with the ink, stickers, or paint can deter repeat episodes. Shrubs or thorny plants can be in- troduced; fences or railings installed; and limiting access to roofs are great ways to deter tagging. Community murals are another way to resolve a problem as taggers are more reluctant to deface them since their ‘art’ cannot be as easily observed. Report. Call the City of Portland’s Graffiti Hotline at 503-823-4TAG (4824). Report graffiti on your own property to the non-emergency police line (823-3333). There is also an Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) website for reporting purposes. www.portlandonline.com Only call 911 to report graffiti in progress. Photographing vandalism is always recommended. If you have a smart phone, there is a free app to report it: PDX Reporter. In order for the information to be us- able, it must include a clear, close-up photo, your contact information and a physical address of the graffiti. If your phone has GPS capability, this will be recognized by the app auto- The following public service announcement is sponsored by Come To Graffiti removal is the responsibility of all citizens. Calling 503-823-4TAG is one way of reporting it to the city and have it removed. A free app for smart phones is also available: PDX Reporter. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand) matically. Remove. Property owners are re- sponsible for cleaning up graffiti on their property within ten business days. There is variety of low/no- VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint available at many fire stations or by calling the Graffiti Abatement Program at 503-823-5860. Never remove graffiti from some- one else’s property. Report it instead. Cleaning graffiti off stop signs, direc- tional signs or other public property should be left to city officials. Trans- portation Bureau technicians have solvents which won’t ruin the face of the sign. Livability is one of the highest val- ues rated by residents and business owners in the southwest. Adopting a few streets, picking up litter, and organizing graffiti removal teams are ways citizens can work together. According to Adams, the City will train volunteers and outfit them with the necessary resources. Parker Realty, Inc. Multnomah Village - $385,000 First time on the market in over 22 years. Beautiful, peaceful location – walking distance to the Village & Gabriel Park. 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths - NEW open kitchen with gas cooking, living room w/ vaulted ceilings & fireplace. Double garage w/ shop area. Carnival Rides, Food, RoZone Concert Series NOW - June 9 Reserved Parade Seats @ the Memorial Coliseum June 8, 2013 Tickets, Schedules & Information at RoseFestival.org The inventory of houses for sale in the Portland Metro area remains at historic lows. High demand for homes in our area coupled with low interest rates and lack of homes for sale translates to higher prices! If you are thinking of selling contact us today for a free market analysis. 503-977-1888•7830SW35thAve.,Portland,OR www.parkerrealtyportland.com Jeff Parker Your Neighborhood Realtor Since 1980
