Graffiti
What is graffiti?
Graffiti is deliberately marking property without the owner’s consent. It is illegal and usually in the form of messages, symbols, lettering, and/or images written using spray paint or permanent marker.
Graffiti can be stylised lettering (a tag), large letters in a single solid colour (a throw up) or a carefully planned, multi-coloured design with intricate detail (a piece). Etching into surfaces with a sharp instrument is also a form of graffiti.
Graffiti removal
The most effective way to manage graffiti is to remove it as quickly as possible, preferably within 24 hours. Rapid removal limits the admiration a vandal receives from their peers, which is often their primary motive. It also reduces the likelihood that the area will attract further vandalism.
Report graffiti now!
Council's new graffiti reporting system is now online. If you see graffiti in Redland City, you can
report it online >>
Graffiti removal at home
The quickest way to remove graffiti on a painted surface is to paint over it. Try to match the colour to avoid a patchwork effect. If this is unavoidable, paint the whole wall or section.
Use chemicals and a water blaster to remove graffiti from a non-painted surface. Alkaline based solutions are most effective. Commercial graffiti removal products are available from hardware stores, however domestic oven cleaner can be used to remove. Always read the instructions and follow safety precautions.
See Guides to dealing with Graffiti:
Graffiti removal on Council property
Council needs your help to rid the Redlands of graffiti. Phone 3829 8999 to report graffiti on bus shelters, Council buildings, street signs, jetties, park equipment, water stations and toilet blocks.
Graffiti removal on non-Council property
Other organisations own assets which are targeted by graffiti vandals. To report graffiti on non-Council infrastructure contact the owner:
Queensland Rail 13 16 17
Telstra Payphones 180 22 44. Quote the cabinet number found in the phone box.
Graffiti prevention
Rapid removal is the best form of prevention. Research indicates that once a tag is removed three times, it is unlikely to reappear at a site.
Other preventive techniques include:
- painting surfaces a dark colour
- growing vegetation over fences or walls to break up the surface
- applying sacrificial or non-sacrificial clear graffiti coating
- using raised or textured surfaces
- painting a mural (preferably by local artists)
- lighting and other crime prevention through environmental design strategies.
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