Update: Since this post, Spokane City Council has passed a revised ordinance requiring business and residential property owners to remove graffiti from their property within 10 days of being notified by the police department.

Where is the pride in this city? The graffiti problem is not isolated to downtown Spokane; this scourge extends to all the densely populated areas of Spokane County including the city of Spokane Valley. Graffiti is being allowed to drive down property values, and give visitors to this city the impression we just don’t care.

Property owners feel the city does not identify with with them and they feel alienated. Some property owners even feel the city should remove the graffiti, and the city does not necessarily share that position. As a result, the graffiti remains strewn all over on the walls of their businesses and homes. Property owners need to be held accountable by the city to remove graffiti on their buildings.

Next time you go downtown, look at the Crescent Building that takes up a city block. The Crescent Building is a haven for graffiti, because the owner of the building said he doesn’t care. Meanwhile businesses around this building suffer. If a business owner experiences a loss of sales revenue, the city looses of tax revenue. Even our public right-aways display graffiti longer than it should be there because certain city departments feel they are not required to remove it unless it was a public health and safety issue. 

There is a pissing match between the city departments, the citizens and City Hall who all point the bureaucratic finger of responsibility at each other for the removal..The fact of it is that this is all of our responsibility.

Its time come to your senses people. This is America; time to live the American dream, and take the good with the bad. Life does not come with guarantees; it especially does not come with the assurance that you will never be victim of a property crime.

What happens if someone broke your window? You’d probably get that window fixed right? Why can’t property owners fix this? Business owners, regular working humps and even the lazy city of Spokane workers who receive 5% raises need to pull their weight around this community.

Do yourself and the rest of the community a favor, remove the graffiti, and if you want to whine about the lack of city support then volunteer to help develop a city program to educate the public on ways to prevent graffiti.

Under the current graffiti ordinance, the only type of graffiti considered a risk to public health and safety is “gang” graffiti. The city will remove gang graffiti but you are on the hook for the rest of it.

Spokane needs adopt a mandatory removal ordinance that all graffiti be removed within a certain time frame and if it isn’t removed, they should be fined concurrent to the public nuisance ordinance, or receive a bill from the city for the removal.

The current ordinance left a loop hole that all other forms of graffiti can remain festering on the walls. Other types of graffiti isn’t apparently a matter of health or public safety as the case with gang graffiti, and as a result there is no mandate for home owners and business owners to remove it.

Currently the city is “supposed” to remove graffiti from the walls, streets, and dumpsters if the graffiti is classified as gang graffiti. The remaining brightly colored bubble writing you see on the walls and train trestles is generally not considered “gang graffiti” so it’s just going to sit there and invite more vandals because there is no requirement to remove it.

Here are some steps you can take to help prevent falling victim to graffiti.

• Keep up the neighborhood

• Keep up the appearance of your home

• Remove graffiti promptly

• Set up a block watch

• Set up security

• Paint a wall mural

• Search for community outreach groups – you’re not alone

• Don’t be afraid to get involved

Graffiti is a sign of urban decay in Spokane