Graffiti has become a form of communication between gang members as well as a symbol of artistic expression from our troubled youth. It is also an annoying display of disrespect for property and the people who own it. The painted messages or incommunicable destruction causes discontent among the community and indirectly affects the local economy through a loss of tourism and tax dollars. People may no longer desire to visit or move to our community when it is infested with graffiti.

There must be a certain level of intolerance embedded within the culture of our community when it comes to the intentional defacing of property. A quick response is critical to the remediation of vandalized property and future eradication of graffiti occurrences. In order to combat acts of destruction to public property, we need to formulate a comprehensive response plan. There have been other communities implementing successful graffiti eradication programs to combat the defacing of roadways, signs and buildings. A program of this nature entails a cooperative effort among several agencies as well as the general public. Law enforcement can team-up with the state attorneys' office and community diversion programs to sanitize the affected areas. This can be done by forcing a person convicted of vandalism to repair the damage through a supervised community service program. As part of the sentencing process, convicts are directed through court order to remove graffiti from affected properties within the community. This may entail painting over the graffiti with a fresh coat of paint. Another sector of the eradication program could involve a volunteer group immediately responding to a graffiti scene and painting over the vandalized area. The volunteer portion of the program provides a quicker response as court proceedings tend to be quite lengthy in time.

The costs for this program can be defrayed by requiring the convict to pay restitution for their crimes. Additionally corporate donations in the form of paint and painting supplies can supplement the funding of this project. Actively supporting a community project by donating critical supplies helps the business to become vested in the on-going growth of the community. It may also provide them with an annual tax write-off at the end of the year. Regardless of the source of the funding, a program like this is essential in terms of reducing crime. Failing to remove graffiti from our community only invites further acts of criminality.

A well known criminologist by the name of James Q. Wilson theorized that crime would eventually flourish in a community if the vandalism therein remains un-repaired. This empirical thinking was later indoctrinated in a book entitled, "Broken Windows Theory." In his book, Wilson surmised that when an abandoned house is vandalized by one broken window, left un-repaired it would invite further criminal activity. The criminal element would test the police and community to see if anyone cares about the house and surrounding neighborhood. A second window would be broken and the house might be tagged with graffiti followed by further acts of destruction. Anything short of immediate repair would suggest an apathetic attitude or lack of community interest and concern for the house. Soon truants and runaways may appear and take-up occupancy, minor nuisance violations occur such as excessive noise, public intoxication and brawling. Those low level crimes begin to rapidly escalate as more criminals become aware of the location and lack of community control. An infestation of drug dealers / users, prostitutes and gang members take root bringing along more serious interpersonal crime. At this juncture the community has lost the house and neighborhood through a systematic escalation of unabated criminal activity.

To stop the progression of criminality, we must quickly cure any signs of vandalism. In order for law enforcement to be effective, the community should make a concerted effort to become involved in the policing of its neighborhoods. At first glance, signs of degenerative property must be instantly restored and maintained. Absent property owners must be aware of conditions surrounding the structures they own and quickly handle problematic issues. Failure to do so in a timely manner will require government intervention. Code enforcement is the arm of the local government that investigates violations of ordinances regarding the proper upkeep of private property. It is imperative that these officers routinely patrol the community and cite owners for code violations. Law enforcement must also be on the look-out for potential sources of criminal activity, such as abandoned houses and commercial buildings. Deputies should be in and around these areas recording their observations and documenting specific areas in need of resources. It is also important that law enforcement have the ability to read and understand gang tagging. Once they understand the messages, deputies can record the data and pass it along to the gang task force for further investigation. Hopefully this will enable them to identify the source of the graffiti and possibly stop future criminality.

The identification, condemnation and demolishing of buildings in disrepair coupled with a graffiti eradication program will improve the community’s’ quality of life. This grass roots approach to crime fighting is a necessary tool in the suppression of criminal activity as well as a step towards the continued beautification project of Hardee County.

 Dr. Santarlas is a former Deputy Chief of Police in the State of Florida.