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Graffiti Removal

Graffiti is not a victimless crime. It hurts property values, scares away shoppers, and creates a climate of lawlessness that often leads to more serious crime. The mere presence of graffiti can instill fear, making people feel trapped, powerless, and intimidated in their own homes. When graffiti exists in a neighborhood, prospective business and homeowners look elsewhere to live and work.

It is important to move quickly to report, document and clean up graffiti vandalism. Speedy clean up makes a repeat offense less likely. Most vandals tire of wasting their paint and time when no one can see their tag (artwork) for more than a day of two.

When "taggers" know that neighborhoods are watching more closely, they don't return for fear of being caught and going to jail.

What you can do to help

• Contact the Neighborhood Services Action Center 297-2535 to report graffiti
• Remove graffiti immediately
• Get free paint and supplies from your nearest Community Action Agency
• Form a volunteer graffiti removal crew in your neighborhood
• Talk to your kids. Let them know that graffiti is a crime and why it is bad
• Sponsor clean ups

Graffiti Removal: Oklahoma City municipal code states that it is the resposibility of the property owner to remove graffiti from their property. The Community Action Agency will provide free paint and supplies to property owners who wish to clean up graffiti. Contact the Community Action Agency at 232-0199 to locate the nearest district office. If the graffiti is not on your property, CAA staff will also help you carry out the steps necessary to get permission from the property owner and will issue a voucher for paint and supplies to a local paint store or equipment rental agency. If the same area is vandalized again, you can use any remaining paint or go through the process again to obtain more materials. If you are not able to remove graffiti yourself, ask CAA if they know of any volunteer groups or neighborhood associations who might be able to help you.

Graffiti Removal from a Public Utility or Phone Switch Box: If the graffiti is painted on a public utility pole, utility equipment box or telephone company relay box, call the customer service department of the utility company that is responsible for that equipment. They will send someone out to remove the graffiti.

Community Mural Program: To permanently remove or deter graffiti, your neighborhood may decide to organize a community mural project. A partnership between the Arts Council of Oklahoma City and the City of Oklahoma City has resulted in the completion of several murals by professional artists. It is important to note that special permission is required and murals may not be appropriate for all locations. For more information on the Community Mural program, contact Community Action Agency at one of the numbers below or the City of OKC Housing and Neighborhood Programs at 297-3347.

Community Action Agency Phone Numbers

For more information on Graffiti Removal and the Community Mural Program contact City of Oklahoma City Housing and Neighborhood Programs at 297-3347 or call the nearest Community Action Agency.

It is important to note that the city will remove graffiti at no charge to the property owner, but the city is required by state law to wait 20 days after the initial notice of code violation to allow the property owner to remove the graffiti themselves. After a property has been served with one notice of code violation for graffiti, no further notice will be issued. The city crew will remove any future incidence of graffiti from the same property as it is reported.

If a citizen witnesses graffiti in progress, they should call 911 and report it. Getting caught is also a successful deterrent to vandals.