‘The Unintended Consequences of Graffiti’
Contextualising Graffiti • Graffiti writers are not ‘mindless vandals’.
Scheepers,
I., (2004). Graffiti and Urban Space. University of Sydney
• Graffiti is only ever graffiti when it is done illegally! ‘If it’s a legal venue, then it ceases to be graffiti’. Martinez, H., (2006). Graffiti NYC. London, Prestel Publishing
• ‘The only proper writers are on trains, that's where it belongs’. Daly, M., (1997). Battle of the Art Outlaws. The Big Issue, London.
The Ethos of Graffiti • For graffiti writers the ‘prime directive is getting up, whilst style, form and methodology are major concerns, they are secondary’. Castleman, J., (1982). Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York. London, The MIT Press
• Therefore, only someone with a very determined ‘sense of vocation will put in the necessary amount of work’. Martinez, H., (1975). ‘A Brief Background in Graffiti’ in United Graffiti Artists, New York: Artists Space. 27/09/1975 pp. 3-7
• The practice of graffiti is ‘rooted in bombing’. Hunter, G., (2013). Street Art: From Around The World. London, Arcturus Publishing
Graffiti as Competition Graffiti writers compete for: • • • • •
Space Prolificacy Style Fame Labels
London Graffiti Scene • There are 1000’s of writers in London’s graffiti scene. For many, the principle ambition is to write on trains. • In its last survey Police identified 287 active nominals - known train writers. • And a further 172 unidentified train writers. • Of which 41 nominals were foreign nationals. • Those 41 nominals originate from 20 different countries.
‘Broken Windows’ • Graffiti in public places such as on trains and in stations can make passengers feel unsafe and, if left untended is a sign that nobody cares and leads to a fear of crime, more serious crime and, ultimately, urban decay. Wilson, J. Q. and Kelling, G. L. (1982). Broken windows: the police and neighborhood safety. The Atlantic Monthly, March, 29-38.
• It can also create a climate of fear for those using and working on the railways. • Between Network Rail, London Underground and other Train Operators, it is estimated that graffiti still costs about £20 million per year to deal with.
Case Study #1 • By March 2006, graffiti had become a very significant problem costing the UK over £1 billion per year. Source: http://www.encams.org/campaigns/main2.asp?pageid=34
• Responding to the rising number of complaints Police initiated Operation Shuttle in March 2006. • The London based DPM Crew were targeted as they were one of the most destructive Crews. • In June 2006, Police arrested 10 suspects.
• The Police investigation focused on 120 graffiti offences attributable to the DPM Crew. • The total cost of the graffiti damage caused was calculated to be in excess of £½ million. • By November 2007, 9 men had been charged with Conspiracy to cause Criminal Damage. • On 08/07/2008, members of the DPM Crew appeared before Southwark Crown Court. • They were sentenced to a combined total of 11½ years imprisonment.
Case Study #2 • Some graffiti writers evolve into becoming ‘career criminals’ whose aim is to expand the ‘All City’
individual movement to ‘All Country’ and ‘All World’. Lachmann, R., (1988) Graffiti as Career and Ideology. The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 94, No. 2. (Sep., 1988), pp. 229-250
• Members of The GSD Crew epitomised what it is to be a ‘career criminal’ and a ‘graffiti tourist’. • Following a lengthy investigation 5 persons were arrested in connection with 196 offences in 24 different countries.
• The total cost of the graffiti damage caused was calculated to be £567,000. • By November 2007, 5 persons had been charged with Conspiracy to cause Criminal Damage. • On 06/01/2013 members of the GSD Crew appeared before Blackfriars Crown Court. • There they were sentenced to a combined total of 11 years imprisonment.
The Deterrent Effect • Effective deterrent sentences prevents and persuades others not to engage in graffiti. • Some writers have quit. • Others have radically changed the way in which they operate. • Since 2007, graffiti crime is down. • Fewer trains out of service. • Most trains in-service are graffiti free.
Crime Down Graffiti Offences by Year 6000
5451
5000 4266 4000
3393 3005
3000
2351
2000
1675
1546
2012
2013
1000 0 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Financial Year End
Abatement Tactics • Accessible and user friendly graffiti reporting systems. Go to: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/1022.aspx • Swift removal = denied visibility. • Recording and tracking of graffiti incidents. • Education programmes. • Diversion strategies. • CPTED. (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) • Law enforcement. • Community Payback.
Unintended Consequences • Graffiti is a gateway crime. It can lead to involvement theft, burglary, assaults, robbery and drug related offences. Taylor, M and Khan, U., (2012). Graffiti Offenders’ Patterns of Desistence from and Persistence In, Crime: New Insights into Reducing Recidivist Offending. Police Journal. March 2012, Vol. 85 Issue 1, p.5
• It can have a negative impact on relationships. • Graffiti can lead to addictions, mental illnesses, serious injury and even death. • It can lead to a criminal record and even prison. • Having a criminal record can be a barrier to employment and travel to certain countries. Source: www.nacro.org.uk/data/files/ex-offendersemployment-930.pdf
Looking Ahead • Graffiti continues to present significant challenges to Police and the organisations charged with managing our public spaces and public transport systems. • It is only by working together in partnership, that we can find the right solutions for all of the questions that graffiti presents. • What we need is a single, joined up strategy that manages all of graffiti’s complexities.