Graffiti Removal

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Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

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CPTED is based upon the idea that the environment influences people's behaviour and uses design principles to minimise the potential for criminal behaviour to occur. Ideally, principles should be incorporated at the design stage of a development but can be applied to existing buildings and areas.

Surveillance

Surveillance involves making a site visible, as casual surveillance increases a sense of safety and can deter criminal activity. This is usually achieved by sightlines and lighting and by increasing the number of people actively using and area.

Designing sightlines
Sightlines can help keep an area less susceptible to crime and graffiti. Vegetation and landscaping should be maintained to facilitate surveillance.

Shrubbery and trees should be lower than 60cm or have 1.8m between their lowest branches and the ground.
Blind spots and sharp corners should be minimised.
Gathering spots should be located in areas that offer natural surveillance and access control.

Appropriate lighting
Lighting in well-used areas may deter offenders by increasing the risk of apprehension.

Lighting should be uniform and not create glare.
Height and location are important.
In some cases, additional lighting may actually attract graffiti or crime in isolated or remote locations as it enables the offender to see their work.
Lighting that works on motion detectors may increase the chances of detection and further deter graffiti or crime in these locations.

Natural surveillance and formal observation
Areas with a high risk of graffiti or crime should be made more visible from public places such as roads, footpaths and neighbouring buildings, as this increases natural surveillance. Landscaping should be designed to enhance sightlines. This will allow users of a space to see what is happening around them.

Formal observation involves the use of techniques such as the placement of a reception desk in a location that facilitates surveillance. Other examples include rostering staff to tend to an area at vulnerable times (such as after school), or requesting neighbouring businesses/residents to call the police if there is suspicious activity.Return to top

Access control

Controlling people’s access to locations prone to graffiti or crime is a good way to limit the potential of it occurring. Access control can comprise:

Physical barriers that prevent access, or
Symbolic barriers (e.g. signs) that indicate access is restricted – this means that people in the controlled area are seen by others to be breaking the rules for that area.

Controlling access to areas

Ensure there are clear transitional zones from public to semi-public to private spaces, such as a change in level, a garden bed or different paving.
Fences, rails, and other barriers can be used to discourage or deny access.
Limit access to roofs and higher stories by moving bins and other items away from walls and covering drainpipes to prevent offenders from scaling them.

Controlling access to ‘canvases’
If graffiti ‘canvases’ (walls, doors etc) cannot be altered to reduce their attractiveness to graffiti vandals, landscaping should cover them. Make sure that any plants used do not damage the surface by attaching themselves to the wall or by root invasion.

Landscaping should be both high enough to cover the accessible parts of the wall and wide enough to deter access.
Natives and other plants which are uncomfortable to be close to may improve access control.
Pebbles and other ground covers can be used in areas where the creation of noise will alert a response. Care should be taken to ensure these items are not used to further vandalise areas by being used as projectiles.
Community art, especially mosaics, may be useful when landscaping is not an appropriate solution. Mosaics provide a bright and colourful surface which is textured to prevent graffiti vandalism and is relatively easy to clean if it does occur.

Controlling graffiti tools
Controlling access to materials used in graffiti (such as spray cans and marker pens) to people under the age of 18 is a good way to discourage and avoid graffiti occurring.

All retailers that stock spray cans, including hardware and discount shops, should be encouraged to assess the sale of spray cans or markers to people aged under 18.
Individuals can help prevent access to spray paints by ensuring that any cans stored on their property are secured against theft and are disposed of carefully.Return to top

Territoriality

Using physical features and activities to express ownership and control of the environment is called ‘territoriality’.

Safe and well-used spaces
Areas that are well designed, safe and enjoyable will be highly used by the community. This creates a vibrant area that is less susceptible to graffiti and crime.

Activity generators such as cafés, play equipment and public art will encourage legitimate use.
Signage and clear pathways can be used to remove excuses for being in restricted areas.

Increasing the reporting of graffiti vandalism
In areas with high levels of territoriality, suspicious behaviour (such as people accessing rooftops) will be obvious and more likely to be reported.

Reporting graffiti to the council and the police will help control the spread of graffiti and assist with better planning of patrols and use of resources.
Reporting the graffiti to the property owner allows them to be aware of the crime and remove it as soon as possible.

Graffiti-resistant materials

Graffiti-resistant materials can help prevent graffiti from occurring, as well as making clean-up easy.

Material
Construction and design materials used in areas vulnerable to graffiti vandalism should be easy to clean. Porous materials should be sealed or have an anti-graffiti coating. Options include:

Vitreous-enamel panels or glazed ceramic tiles from which graffiti washes off.
Wired glass that can be cleaned with scrapers.
Polyester film over glass.
Plastic laminates, which make for easier cleaning.
Signs with surfaces resistant to marker pens and spray paint.

Texture
The texture of surfaces can reduce the attractiveness for graffiti offenders. By incorporating open form designs, the size of the available ‘canvas’ is reduced and surveillance may be increased.

Pool style fencing, such steel mesh and latticework, are examples of this.
Irregular texture finishes such as roughly rendered brick can deter graffiti vandalism when used in combination with other strategies; however, maintenance can be more difficult.

Surface colour
Although graffiti can occur on any coloured surface, a darker colour is more effective in deterring graffiti offenders due to it being resistant to lighter colours. The use of standard colours will provide for more effective and rapid maintenance.Return to top

Maintenance

Ongoing maintenance sends the signal that the area is well used and cared for. Maintenance may include:

Regular tree trimming to preserve surveillance.
Routinely monitoring locations prone to graffiti vandalism.
Implementing rapid removal policies and ensuring access control mechanisms are functioning. This approach directly addresses the motives of many offenders by reducing the notoriety associated with graffiti vandalism’s visibility.

Conducting publicity campaigns
On their own, publicity campaigns are of limited effectiveness. Programmes that focus on issues of reporting and removing graffiti vandalism, or highlight the activity as a crime, may have some impact on the activities of the broader community.

Publicity of anti-graffiti measures and successes may improve the perception of an area and provide a deterrent to offenders. Care should be taken to avoid glorifying graffiti or creating a sense of retribution in vandals, which may lead to an increase in graffiti.

Community education
We will be able to provide you with the current strategies that we are undertaking in an area. We can also undertake community education or assist with a community paint-out, if requested.