GRAFFITI VANDALISM DETERRENCE TIPS

1 Improved Lighting

The most detrimental graffiti vandalism occurs during dark hours. Graffiti vandals find nighttime beneficial, as it helps protect their identity from witnesses and the police. Properties with poor lighting help the vandal go unnoticed as they do their damage if nobody notices the police will not get a call, so the vandalism will continue throughout the area.

If you've had a reoccurring graffiti vandalism problem, you may want to update your outdoor lighting to deter future vandals. A great choice would be motion-activated floodlights. These types will allow you to set the day/night usage, sensitivity to activate, as well as the light's duration. The dark/photocell activated lighting systems can be very inefficient due to the fact they continuously run for 8 to 12 hours every day.

We recommend the motion-activated type. These are available in many different styles; the model you want to use is L.E.D. lights. L.E.D. Motion-Sensing Floodlights are incomparable in savings on energy. L.E.D.'s also last 10+ years while you'll be lucky to get two years out of a typical floodlight. Also, L.E.D. bulbs are tiny, making it harder for a graffiti vandal to bust with a rock. With any light system you use, make sure to put them in hard-to-reach places to avoid them being disabled by vandals.

2 Surveillance Signs

Most graffiti vandals are tagging for recognition among the crowds interested or participating in graffiti. However, none of the vandals want their identity revealed, and they will go great lengths to avoid identification. Knowing this can help deter graffiti if you plan accordingly.

One of our favourite graffiti deterrent signs is the "SMILE You're on Camera" sign. When vandals see this sign, they tend to assume there are cameras and they'll keep moving. This way, you get some of the deterrent value a camera offers without the high price of a quality surveillance system. No matter if you've been a victim of graffiti vandalism or not, signs like these should be visible around your property. The benefit far outweighs the cost here. If these signs only stop one out of five vandals, you've already reduced your graffiti removal cost 20%.

You can find these signs by doing a simple Google search and they are relatively cheap. Make sure you get them durable enough to stand repetitive cleaning as they may be a target of vandalism in the future.

3 Install Motion Sensors

Local home improvement and DIY stores have an excellent tool to deter graffiti vandals, Wireless Motion Activated Alert Sets. The wireless motion activated alert set comes with a motion sensor that can detect movement over 65 feet. When the motion sensor has tripped, the audible box that's plugged into an interior electric outlet will beep. The audible box also has a lamp plug-in that will allow a lamp to activate if the motion sensor has tripped. If used correctly, these will help you deter most graffiti vandals.

We recommend using some of these ideas when setting up a wireless motion activated alert set. Motion sensors should face areas highly targeted by graffiti. If the property hasn't had a graffiti problem, the sensor should face areas where you feel the property needs an extra set of eyes. Once you have found a suitable place for the sensor, you can paint or camouflage tape the sensor housing to keep it better concealed. Choose a window closest to the motion sensor to place a lamp and plug in your audible box. Once your audible box has power, plug in the lamp and go outside to test it. The light should come on as someone approaches the area. You may need to adjust the sensitivity of the sensor if you want it responsive.

4 Privacy Hedges

Privacy hedges are a great long term graffiti deterrent for walls highly targeted by vandals. If you have a wall repetitively hit by graffiti vandals, you can bet there's a lot of traffic that passes by the area.

Graffiti vandals want their tag seen by as many people as possible, so they'll scout out areas that will be best suited for their needs. Properly placed hedges will reduce the visibility taggers are looking to get. In some cases, shrubs or hedges have eliminated graffiti.

5 Security Cameras

Most graffiti vandals use the same tag name or logo until its identified. Due to the lack of information police receive about graffiti vandals, most go unidentified for years. Setting up a quality video surveillance system in graffiti hot spots has been known to stem a recurring graffiti problem.

Video surveillance acts as a deterrent for graffiti vandals, as a witness for police and security for property owners. If cameras don't deter graffiti vandals, they will help in the identification and prosecution of the offender. Vandals who are found guilty should be required to reimburse property owners for the cost of graffiti removal.

When buying a new video surveillance system, it's essential to keep the quality of the video in mind. A better picture leads to a quicker conviction of the vandal. We recommend high definition, indoor/outdoor, day/night security cameras. Hard drive size will depend on how frequently you check your property for graffiti vandalism.

To get the maximum graffiti deterrent power cameras, you should also use it with the "Smile; You're on camera" sign.

6 Motion Activated Sprinkler

When we offer suggestions to our clients about what they can do to deter graffiti vandalism around their property, this generates the most interest—the Motion-activated water sprinkler. Since paint needs a dry surface to adhere properly, the motion-activated water sprinkler makes a beautiful addition to any anti-graffiti strategy.

Some properties have lovely flowerbeds along the outside; in areas like that, it may be harder to block the visibility of an area highly targeted by graffiti. A motion-activated sprinkler placed out of sight can help by making the surface of the area unfavourable the taggers, along with sending them home feeling hosed.

There are a few different motion-activated sprinklers on the market.

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