News Release
Councillor Asks Province to Legislate Graffiti Concerns in Bill
(May 10, 2011) HRM Councillor Linda Mosher will be calling on the province today to include a change to its legislation that would help the municipality in its goal of eliminating graffiti.
The Councillor, who serves as chair of the HRM Graffiti Task Force Committee, will ask government to add ‘graffiti’ to its definition of dangerous and unsightly premises in Bill 41 - Dangerous and Unsightly Premises Amendment (2011) Act. Mosher feels that the intent of the changes to the bill would be further enhanced if they also include greater action on the removal of graffiti from neighbourhoods.
“As Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell noted when introducing the legislation, ‘unsightly properties are more than an eyesore. They encourage crime, and they impact the entire community.’ By inserting graffiti in its definition, the legislation would be expanding its reach in discouraging crime,” Councillor Mosher said.
The District 17 Councillor noted that there are measures in place at HRM to assist with the removal of what are called ‘tags’, including its free graffiti removal kit. However, often the property owner cannot remove the damage in a timely manner, which only allows the problem to escalate.
“While most property owners do remove any graffiti eventually, home and business owners do not always have easy access to maintenance resources which tend to be costly. In addition to the free removal kits, HRM now wants to provide further assistance to affected residents who may not be able to undertake the removal of graffiti themselves. The changes we are proposing to Bill 41 would help do just that,” Mosher said.
Because the purchasing power of a municipal government is much greater than that of individuals, HRM is proposing to undertake, on a charge-back basis, a cost-effective graffiti removal service for properties in need, helping create safer, cleaner, more welcoming communities, while reinforcing civic pride.
The HRM Councillor noted that if the amendment was accepted, there would be a year-long educational effort to ensure citizens were aware of the HRM graffiti initiative prior to it coming into force.
Graffiti is a growing problem in HRM. According to Halifax Regional Police statistics, the majority of graffiti taggers are younger adults with serious behavioural problems. Of the 126 known graffiti taggers in HRM, 94 percent have had other related incidents with police. Graffiti is considered a “gateway” crime as it leads to other, more serious problems. Studies show that timely removal of graffiti - ideally within 24 to 28 hours - reduces the chance of re-occurrence to ten percent.
-30-
Contact:
HRM District 17 Councillor Linda Mosher
476-4117
