3 QUESTIONS with PAGE & TURNBULL
Acute Vandalism
Acute Vandalismhasenormouseconomic,social,andphysicalimpactsonsociety. JohnLesak,AIA,LEEDAP,FAPT, andSarahBrummett,AIA,withPage&Turnbull,will helpyouprevent,respondto,andmitigatedamagefromacutevandalism.Theywere theprimaryauthorsoftheUSGSA’sGraffitiRemovalQuickStartGuide.
HOW SHOULD WE PREPARE FOR VANDALISM?
Anti-vandalism measures are resiliency measures and should be included in your organization’s broader program to safeguard people and buildings from harm. As part of your organization’s resiliency planning, you should assess how the facilities are vulnerable to damage and implement basic protocols for vandalism response. Make sure you have the basics covered:
• Who are your first responders?
• What basic training do they need?
• What are your communication and documentation protocols?
• What building materials are represented in your portfolio?
• What kinds of products and tools should be on hand to remove graffiti without causing additional damage? Remember: there may be a wide range ofdifferentbuildingmaterialsto considerforeachbuilding.
• What other protocols should be put in place?
• Who are the outside contractors you will use to remedy significant damage? What kind of specialized experience should they have?
“ UCLA topped all 10 UC campuses in costs, spending $10 million on safety and security and $400,000 for building repairs, graffiti removal and other cleanup between March 1 and June 25, 2024.”
– Los Angeles Times July 18, 2024
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO VANDALISM?
The most important thing is to know when to stop initial treatment and bring in specialists for more advanced treatments. The goal of a resiliency approach is to empower on-site staff and first responders to safely triage and stabilize the situation without causing further, long-term harm to fragile building materials through the use of incorrect or overly aggressive removal methods. Specific materials—like wood, metals, porous stone, or fragile historic terra cotta— as well as different graffiti media require specific treatments to successfully remove graffiti without damage. When vandalism occurs, your team of first responders should identify what building materials have been affected and by what graffiti medium, and then begin the process of removing the graffiti according to the previously established and approved protocols. If evidence of the graffiti
Test the treatment on a small, inconspicuous area before large-scale application.
remains after the approved methods for first responders have been exhausted, it is time to call in the experts: architectural conservators and specialized restoration contractors.
HOW DO I AVOID VANDALISM IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Just as you plan to avoid other potential problems, acute vandalism can be avoided or mitigated by thinking strategically. Look for chatter on social media or notices posted before a protest begins. Know where people are likely to congregate and make crowd control and anti-vandalism plans for those areas. Something as simple as wetting a porous surface with a hose ahead of an anticipated acute event can reduce the penetration of certain graffiti media and improve the effectiveness of removal strategies.
Wet down surfaces. Paint doesn’t stick well to wet surfaces.
Plan for both chronic and acute stressors. A chronic stressor—the random graffiti or broken window—can be managed in dayto-day operations. Acute stressors may be infrequent, but significant. Equip your team to handle both. Use the little stressors to test how to handle the big shocks. Acute stressors, like mass protests, demand concerted planning with others within your organization: security, facilities planners, and finance teams. Being proactive pays off, so bring in professionals who will strengthen your anti-vandalism measures while preserving the integrity of your buildings and grounds.
BOTTOM LINE.
The right resilience measures will empower teams to respond safely and effectively to incidents of vandalism, thereby reducing the negative impact of such events. Using skilled and trained contractors to handle the worst damage or damage to sensitive resources can restore your operations and facilities quickly and safely.
3 QUESTIONS WITH PAGE & TURNBULL looks at historic preservation as an agent forreusingandconservingolderbuildings to better society, the economy, and the environment.