Citizen Program Gives Graffiti the Brush
The City of Calgary will partner with residents and business owners in an effort to remove graffiti from private property.
Calgary City Council has approved funding of $250,000 in 2009 with an additional $200,000 for 2010 to share the cost of removing graffiti from homes and businesses and help keep private property graffiti free.
"Graffiti is vandalism and a crime which seriously impacts the safety and livability of our communities," says Bill Bruce, Director of The City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services. Animal & Bylaw Services will operate the program on behalf of The City.
"The presence of graffiti gives the perception that people don't care about their community. This can lead to more serious crimes and is often the first step in the decline of neighbourhoods," says Bruce.
Graffiti is defined by the Community Standards Bylaw as words, figures, letters, drawings or stickers applied, scribbled, scratched, etched, sprayed or attached on or to a surface.
The program was run on a pilot basis in 2007-2008 and is now being expanded across the city. It has been extended to run through the end of 2010 or until the funds run out.
Under the program, residents will call 3-1-1 to report graffiti on their property. They will be asked to pay a $25 fee and sign a waiver 
(121 KB) granting a City contractor permission to remove the graffiti. There is a $100 removal fee for businesses. All revenue will be reinvested into the program.
Under the current bylaw, Calgarians are required to remove, paint over or permanently block any graffiti on their property. Statistics indicate removing graffiti quickly increases the likelihood graffiti will not spread to the surrounding community or reappear.
The City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services hopes citizens will take advantage of this voluntary, cost sharing program to get existing and new graffiti removed from their property. This is an important step in enhancing community pride and demonstrating defacing property is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact Laura Shott at 403-268-1880.
(2.69 MB)
