Graffiti is a community concern that affects all Barrie residents. The Graffiti Abatement Program combines removal, enforcement and educational initiatives to reduce the amount of graffiti in Barrie. The anti-graffiti campaign encourages the public to report graffiti, abate it quickly, and volunteer for the City’s anti-graffiti efforts.
Graffiti — writing, drawing, symbols or etching applied to any property without permission — is a serious problem within communities as it reduces property values and the appearance of neighbourhoods. The City's objectives: maintain an aesthetically pleasing environment, beautify Barrie through the prompt removal of graffiti, and deter further graffiti vandalism.
This program is funded from base operating budgets and led by the Engineering department’s Right of Way Activity (ROWA) group, in coordination with operations & maintenance staff in other departments: Environmental Services; Roads, Parks & Fleet; and Facilities & Transit.
In general, the approach involves:
- Building close relationships with utility companies and the community.
- Identifying graffiti locations.
- Cleaning up graffiti (by utility companies within the Right of Way or by City operations & maintenance staff in parks and at facilities).
- Proactively painting anti-graffiti coatings and murals on surfaces prone to graffiti.
Anti-Graffiti Strategy
The City's anti-graffiti strategy focuses on four goals:
Community Involvement
The City works closely with property owners, the Downtown BIA, and community groups to coordinate community efforts that effectively deal with graffiti abatement. City staff work with representatives from the community who show pride in the positive aesthetic appearance of their communities and take an active interest in maintaining it.
Neighbourhood “captains” have come forward and actively patrol their areas for vandalism to report to City staff. This approach fosters pride in one’s neighbourhood and is a successful means of tracking progress.