The Power of “We”: combatting graffiti through creative community collaboration

Graffiti might seem like “just paint,” but its impact can cost communities in many ways beyond the expense of clean up.  

In late summer, Kelowna faced a troubling increase in racist graffiti incidents, highlighting ongoing challenges in hate-motivated vandalism. It’s a compelling example of how graffiti has the potential to jeopardize community inclusivity, civic pride and a neighbourhood’s overall sense of safety. 

In response to recent troubling graffiti trends, the City has partnered with local businesses, neighbourhood associations and individual community members to tackle graffiti in some creative acts of collaboration. Community clean-ups, re-animation of vacant spaces and proactive neighbourhood beautification projects are just some of the many ways that shared, community focused efforts are leading to innovative and creative neighbourhood crime prevention.  

A recent example of this community collaboration is a new mural near the Rail Trail that came about as a creative solution to a business permit challenge. When the building owner for Kelowna Powersports applied for a permit with the City of Kelowna, the inspector noted that the back wall facing the alley was slightly over height, making it a prime target for graffiti and other vandalism.

As part of a creative solution, business owner Mike Morra offered to hire a local artist to paint a mural – a means of neighbourhood beatification based in proven Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) practices. Since the mural was installed this August, groups of community members have come by to check out this new community artwork and although some graffiti has continued on the alley’s wall, the mural has remained untouched. 

“It was a win-win situation,” Morra said, noting the City has also done a great job improving other sections of the Rail Trail, clearing brush and planting trees. “Working together we can come up with solutions – and this was a good solution. This mural isn’t advertising for my business; it’s for the Rail Trail. We still have a large section of empty wall next to the mural, and I hope that other artists might continue this work.” 

Meanwhile, as reported by Castanet, private buildings downtown were hit with graffiti in August, including a new mural on the downtown Columbia Bottle Depot on St. Paul Street. The mural being created by University of British Columbia Okanagan bachelor of fine arts students was vandalized before it was even finished.

In the spring, the City’s Graffiti Management Team also collaborated with business improvement area ambassadors from the Uptown Rutland Business Area (URBA) to share best practices in graffiti removal techniques. During this team exercise, URBA patrols and City Roadways staff cleaned up neighbourhood graffiti “hot spots” identified through public reports on the City’s Service Request portal.  

According to Andrew Schwedtfeger, City of Kelowna Roadways Operations Manager, these reports from the public help the City’s Graffiti Management Program address what can become a very costly problem if left unchecked. 

“Graffiti removal costs Kelowna taxpayers more than $250,000 every year. Our dedicated team responds to more than 2,000 unique service requests annually,” he said. “Every public report helps us identify and address problem areas — reducing not just graffiti but other forms of vandalism too. We count on residents to report graffiti whenever they see it. Their vigilance helps us curb growing trends and keeps our city looking its best. Keep the reports coming so that together, we’re making Kelowna cleaner and more beautiful.” 

CPTED, a practice of altering exterior environments to deter criminal behaviour, has also recently been put into action through the installation of a new community dog park near Orchard Park Plaza. Working together, community members, local businesses and City staff reclaimed a vacant roadway – with potential to become a target for vandalism – and created a new, positive space promoting community pride, connection between neighbours and overall community safety.

Three months since the launch of the dog park, both community members and City staff are noticing that reports of criminal activity and vandalism have reduced significantly in neighbouring communities.   

These and other collaborative crime prevention efforts are examples of community-centred actions recommended by the Mayor’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and the City’s five-year Community Safety Plan. Working together, community members, local businesses and neighbourhood associations are finding new, creative ways to prevent crime and make a lasting impact on community safety.  

To report graffiti, call the City’s Graffiti Hotline at 250-469-8600 (Option 6) or report it through the municipal online service request system. For more information on how to help combat graffiti and other crime in your community, check out the City’s Graffiti Management Program web page.