Graffiti art? It’s still a crime

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Graffiti art? It’s still a crime

Opinions

Thursday, 07 October 2010 10:07

Moving forward on an ordinance to help deal with the increasing graffiti problem in Osceola County’s unincorporated areas is a welcome step by the Osceola County Commission.
The ordinance, if implemented, would require property owners to remove graffiti from their property in the unincorporated area or face $250 civil fines and possible liens. Adoption of this ordinance is still several weeks away, giving the public time to comment.
County officials have said the problem of graffiti is “starting to spread,” mainly on vacant property, both commercial and residential.
While we like the proposed ordinance, giving property owners only seven days to clean up the graffiti after notification of a violation, in our opinion, is pushing it. Depending on how much graffiti there is and where it is, the cost could be significant in terms of the labor and material involved in either removing it or painting over it.
While we’d like to see more time given to property owners to deal with graffiti, we don’t have a problem with the county placing a lien on a property to cover the cost of abating the violation if an owner fails to act or for eventually assessing civil fines.
Like in health, prevention is easier than the cure, and we urge the public to report anyone defacing public or private property using a spray paint can. While graffiti can be an art form and a way for some in our community to express grievances, to rebel or to combat boredom, in our community it is still considered vandalism and a crime.
Graffiti, just as county officials say in the proposed ordinance, can negatively impact the quality of life in a community and, when in a residential neighborhood or business district, it can create a sense of lawlessness and fear, which is unacceptable in good times or bad.
Our message to those graffiti artists who choose public or private property for their artwork or who think a painted wall is better than a blank one: find some other canvas on which to paint because your art costs us all in the long run in more ways than one. With a little bit of effort and thought, would-be graffiti artists should be able to find a more constructive – and legal – way to leave a significant, lasting impression on our culture or community.