City of Calgary on graffiti and surveillance

[zastrazzi]

From The Calgary Sun

Fed up with hooligans destroying residential and business property with graffiti, the city will be installing new technology likely next month to help catch them in the act

Comments

[xnrrn]

I like what the mayor of Komsomolsk-na-Amure does about graffiti.

As a part of pro youth policy (um, Im not sure how to say it better), the city provides places for people to paint. :> Or somesuch.

[ersatz_marduk]

What's the alternative to people that leave their mark by smashing windows and bus shelters, or vandalizing public phones?

I think graffiti is in a different category, but the proposed measures detect all forms of vandalism, not just the one that ranges from artistic to metaphorical piss as a territorial marker.

On a related note, there are days I'm tempted to tape a large piece of paper on public bathroom stalls, topped with a note that reads, "Have at 'er!" I suspect the city wouldn't go for that for the same reason it doesn't approve of hanging laundry out to dry -- the excuse that it affects property values. I say to hell with those, but it would be understandable if those who invested in a house had a very different view of things.

[zastrazzi]

I understand and sympathize with businesses that have to deal with repeated graffiti, especially when it's graffiti that has no artistic value.

I very much object to taxpayers footing the bill for cleanup, and especially object to paying for surveillance cameras to catch them. If we're going to tolerate living in a surveillance society I want two things. One, that the initial focus be on deterring and catching really real criminals, not a small group of vandals. And two, that cameras funded by taxpayers are always accessable BY taxpayers. You want to watch us, we get to see what you've pointed them at.

[ersatz_marduk]

I agree that any government monitoring of public space should be subject to public review

[sagaciouslu]

When I was managing the Plaza Theatre, a street artist had tag my building. A City of Calgary bylaw officer came by and gave me a citation and stated that I had 'x' number of days to remove the graffiti or I would be fined.

I looked at her dumbfounded, and said "So. You're telling me that my property gets vandalized, and you want to fine me?"

Her answer was, "yes".

At that moment, I was very tempted to urinate upon any and all city bylaw enforcement officers from a great height, and invite any and all street artists to come help decorate my privately owned, taxpaying business.

Rant done. Back to my regularly scheduled activities...

[ersatz_marduk]

If neglected vandalism to your property affected only your property, you'd have more cause to object.

[opaqueplanet]

Along Warman Road, in Saskatoon, there's a long mural on the sound-barrier between the street and the houses. It's like a block long, and it's scenes from Where the Wild Things Are (book, not movie). No one tags it, and it looks awesome.

Ask anyone who does graffiti, be it art or just tagging. If you tag or paint over a mural -ANY mural- you lose all respect and your tag is associated with "that loser who tagged over someone else's art". The solution to graffiti and tagging in any neighbourhood is to give local graffiti artists space to paint. Let them feel like they have some ownership in the community. And when some little prick scrawls on someone's garage door, the rest of the artists will be pissed off that he's threatening the respect they've gained for themselves in the community.

Tagging is about respect from other artists. Scorn is a powerful deterrent.