SNGC APRIL '10 NEWSLETTER

APRIL is NEVADA GRAFFITI AWARENESS MONTH

April 2010

SOUTHERN NEVADA GRAFFITI COALITION

Southern Nevada United in the Fight Against Graffiti Vandalism

April is again Graffiti Awareness Month in the state of Nevada. The Southern Nevada Graffiti Coalition

initiated Graffiti Awareness Month in 2008 as part of a comprehensive plan to fight graffiti vandalism in

our community. It is a great time to get involved in graffiti removal and prevention in your neighborhood.

It is also a time to highlight your anti-graffiti efforts and let them serve as a inspiration for others to join

the fight. Nevada Graffiti Awareness Month is often a time when our local media is encouraged to run

stories concerning graffiti vandalism as one of the paramount property crimes which citizens are reporting.

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To Report Graffiti in Progress: Call 911. Do not approach the vandal.

Be a good witness for responding officers.

To Have a Police Report Made: Go to your closest police station.

Your report will be assigned to a detective for follow-up investigation.

To Have Graffiti Removed from Public Property: Call the Southern Nevada Graffiti Hotline at 455-4509.

To Report a Known Vandal:

Call your local police department. To remain anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

PAGE 2 Southern Nevada Graffiti Coalition

Homewood Village is a neighborhood located in Clark County. Like many neighborhoods in southern Nevada graffiti became a problem. The residents of Homewood Village were faced with a decision: protect their neighborhood and preserve the value of their homes, or allow the graffiti to proliferate and watch their neighborhood decline into decay. Homewood Village decided to fight. Residents contacted Clark County Public Response and became part of the Neighborhood Pride Zone program. This enabled them to receive graffiti removal paint, rollers and other graffiti removal supplies free of charge. They also contacted graffiti investigations detectives and arranged to provide investigators with photos of graffiti that appears in the neighborhood on an ongoing basis.

The Southern Nevada Graffiti Coalition Salutes

the Residents of

HOMEWOOD VILLAGE

As a result graffiti vandalism in Homewood Village is removed immediately and the police have an ongoing record of the graffiti that appears. The residents of Homewood Village have set an example of how a neighborhood can unite to stop graffiti vandalism and resist the crime it attracts. The SNGC thanks the residents of Homewood Village for their efforts.

PAGE 3 Southern Nevada Graffiti Coalition

FIGHTING GRAFFITI IN AMERICA A Look at How Other Communities are Fighting Graffiti Vandalism

This Month: SAN ANTONIO TEXAS’ “PLUG” Program

The city of San Antonio Texas has continued the fight against graffiti vandalism. As part of the commit-

ment to reduce graffiti vandalism the city provided a number of motion sensor activated flood lights to

local businesses.

The PLUG (Place Light Upon Graffiti) Program concept is that by lighting dark areas where graffiti

frequently occurs it will reduce the incidents of graffiti vandalism in that area.

Good lighting is an effective means of reducing graffiti and other types of crime. Graffiti vandals will use

darkness to conceal their activities and increased lighting will often deter their activities.

SOUTHERN NEVADA GRAFFITI COALITION Det. Scott Black (LVMPD), Director

GRAFFITI VANDALISM FACT

PAGE 4 Southern Nevada Graffiti Coalition

Many local businesses are adversely effected by graffiti vandalism. In southern Nevada several businesses have closed their doors after their insurance was canceled for repeated claims resulting from graffiti vandalism. In recent years several new c o m m e r c i a l g r a f f i t i removal companies have opened in the Las Vegas Valley and are available to be contracted for graffiti removal to local businesses. These graffiti removal businesses can remove graffit i quickly and effectively. Some can also repair glass which has been etched by vandals. If you operate a local business which is continu-ally being vandalized police can assist in investigating and arresting the vandal, but repairs remain with the victim unfortunately. A good remedy to this is consider graffiti mainte-nance part of general maintenance and upkeep and contract with a local graffiti removal company.