Atlanta Police Chief George Turner announced Wednesday that the department plans to tackle graffiti. In a letter, he placed most graffiti in the same quality-of-life category as illegal dumping. He said the city has formed a graffiti task force to try and eradicate the defacing of public and private property.
The letter comes one week after two men were arrested and charged with felonies after they were caught spray painting the word "cruel" on a Verizon Wireless billboard off of I-20.
Two Edgewood Avenue residents and a metal supply business in the Old Fourth Ward also have filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Atlanta graffiti artists and taggers.
“I think that the issue of graffiti has sort of reached a critical mass,” APD spokesman Carlos Campos said. “Graffiti really can send a signal that it’s OK to do crime here because it looks like no one cares.”
The city has created a Graffiti Task Force, which includes city agencies and private organizations. The group plans to announce details on a public education campaign next month, said Sharon Davis, with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
While police plan to arrest violators, Turner said the city is trying to locate suitable spots for graffiti artists to follow their muse with appropriate renderings. Send questions to atlantacops@atlantaga.gov or call 404-546-2605.
“We want to be clear, we’re not going after ever piece of outdoor art in the city,” Campos said. “We’re not looking to jail legitimate artists who have permission to do what they do. It is, in no uncertain terms, an effort to arrest and prosecute people who vandalize public or private property."
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