Graffiti: Implications for law enforcement, local government and the community

Abstract

Different people respond to graffiti in different ways. Indeed, if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, nowhere is this more evident than in individual responses to graffiti. To most residents of towns and cities they are ugly, anti-social daubs, while for the people who paint the graffiti, they can represent an expression of individuality. Local government agencies and public transport authorities in particular make significant financial outlays in graffiti prevention initiatives and graffiti removal schemes. Financial costs can also be considerable to business owners, households and schools.