Purge the graffiti grime
Residents faced with unattractive graffiti and drawings around their homes can now do something about it, thanks to Wellington City Council?s free graffiti removal kits. Johnsonville business owner Terry Gardiner says graffiti defacing his building's walls is a recurring issue and was happy to see an initiative to help communities deal with the problem. ?I?m delighted at any moves to help keep graffiti out of our community,? he says. He suggested locals take pictures of the graffiti before they remove it, and send the images to the local police to help them build up profiles on local taggers. ?My buildings are constantly a target, we have one concrete wall graffiti-proofed but the fences are hard to protect. ?If you don?t have a good layer of paint on your fences then you have to sand and blast them, and paint over it,? he says. The graffiti kits, which contain graffiti removal spray, gloves, protective glasses, and vouchers for free paint test pots and discount on paints, are available in Karori, Johnsonville, Kilbirnie, Miramar and Tawa libraries and the City Service Centre. The Council?s social portfolio leader Ngaire Best says, ?The kits are a valuable new addition to an array of tools in the fight against graffiti vandalism?. ?Wellingtonians can quickly and easily deal with tagging on their property ? taggers want their tag up for everyone to see, so removing it quickly is a big deterrent. ?Quick removal helps spread the message that our communities don?t want graffiti, and that we?re proud of our city,? she says. A graffiti ?flying squad?, established in 2007, will continue to paint out graffiti on residential properties where either the owners can?t do it themselves or the graffiti won?t come off with the spray provided in the kit. Funding for the kits came from the Ministry of Justice?s graffiti vandalism contestable fund, and Resene?s sponsorship is similar to arrangements it has made with other local authorities. The Council wants people to report graffiti on council property (such as signage, playgrounds and buildings) by calling 499 4444. Anyone witnessing vandalism should call the police.
