Criminal justice CASE STUDY #5: GRAFITTI IN LONDON

CASE STUDY #5: GRAFITTI IN LONDON
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CASE STUDY #5: GRAFITTI IN LONDON
FEBRUARY 2021
This case study contains excerpts from Graffiti in London: Report of the London Assembly Graffiti Investigative Committee, May 2002.
Introduction
In the Association of London Government’s ‘Survey of Londoners 2001,’ 77% of Londoners listed graffiti as a quality of life concern. The London Mayor’s ‘London Survey’ by MORI did not, surprisingly, address the issue directly but 73% of respondents said that London was not a clean city and 52% listed crime as a major concern.
It is clear that graffiti is a problem that affects ALL London Boroughs, not just those situated in ‘inner’ London. South London appears to be particularly blessed or cursed by graffiti depending upon your point of view. It is also clear that the amount of graffiti is growing. Some respondents to our investigation signalled that their spending on removing graffiti has tripled over the last five years. Our standards for combating illegal graffiti are way below the best practice internationally. Our standards also vary dramatically across London.
Graffiti has a negative effect on the lives of the thousands of Londoners who travel in vandalized, unpleasant buses and trains, and live in areas blighted by graffiti. Its presence often coincides with other environmental problems such as abandoned cars, litter and fly posting. Graffiti also spreads fear and can be offensive.
The Cost of Graffiti
We estimate the total cost of graffiti in London to be over £100 million per annum. In this report we have identified expenditure by London Boroughs and transport companies of approximately £13 million per annum. This figure rises to £23 million if all the etched glass on the underground is replaced, but does not include costs to businesses, utilities, rail companies and homeowners. Costs go beyond just removal costs and include damage to economic development and loss of capital values to people’s homes. We were unable to identify accurately these additional costs, but we estimate that when they are taken into
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account, the cost of graffiti to the London economy each year exceeds £100m. This is
money lost to productive expenditure and investment in our public services. Graffiti
involves an unacceptable cost to Londoners.
The History of Graffiti in London
There are various opinions as to how graffiti developed and arrived in the UK. The practice
of writing and drawing on walls dates back to ancient times, but modern graffiti emerged
on the streets of New York in the seventies. Since then it has evolved with the growth of
hip-hop music culture which emerged as a response to American ghetto life. Graffiti
came to the UK as the popularity in hip-hop culture grew and as corporate America
recognised that hip-hop was a marketable commodity. Our evidence shows that graffiti
in the UK has grown in popularity and status particularly with young people. It is seen by
young people as a way of providing an opportunity to acquire fame and respect amongst
their peers.
Types of Graffiti
Tagging is the most common type of graffiti. The tag is a type of signature. It is a way of
saying ”I was here” and is used in some cases to mark out territory. Tagging on housing
estates is predominantly carried out by young people in the age range of eight to
eighteen. Murals or pieces (as they are known by graffiti writers) are the more artistic
forms of graffiti. These usually contain large complex lettering. As various organizations
have become more effective in graffiti removal, spray can graffiti has been displaced by a
new type of highly damaging graffiti known as etching. Etching is very common on buses
and trains and involves the scratching of glass with a drill bit or sharp implement. Etching
has become a serious problem for transport organizations and they have expressed grave
concerns about the increasing costs of replacing etched glass. In some cases graffiti is
highly offensive and inflammatory, being used as a form of attack against an individual or
group of people.
Profile of a Graffiti Writer
Evidence submitted from boroughs, businesses and world cities points to the majority of
graffiti being carried out by young males between the ages of 11 and 16. However, the
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evidence also makes clear that a lot of graffiti writing is done by those in their thirties and
beyond. Some hold down respectable jobs. It appears from our evidence that tagging is
predominantly carried out by younger people in their early teens, whilst the more artistic
types of graffiti are carried out by older people. People write graffiti for a variety of
reasons, the main motivation being the achievement of fame and notoriety amongst
peers.
What the Graffiti Writers Say
The graffiti writers interviewed questioned why there has to be war between themselves
and the authorities. They wondered why they are portrayed as hardened criminals. They
acknowledged the fact that graffiti is seen as vandalism, but were annoyed at being
categorised the same way as those who commit rape, robbery, drug dealing and murder.
They highlighted the positive aspects of graffiti which are ignored by statutory
authorities, such as projects where graffiti has been used in mentoring young people,
and various advertising and art commissions, which provide opportunities for
employment.
Graffiti is Illegal
There is a generally held opinion that the courts and law enforcement agencies do not
regard graffiti as a serious offence and those apprehended are not given sentences that
act as a deterrent to others. Magistrates can impose fines of up to £5,000 and sentences
for up to 6 months (12 months in some circumstances) for the offence of criminal
damage.
Conclusion
London has tolerated illegal graffiti as inevitable for far too long, but we do not have to live
with it and graffiti must not become an acceptable part of our urban environment.
Prompt: Compose a response plan to the graffiti problem for the leadership of the
city of London. You should focus on police activities, but you can mention civilian
efforts, too.

Problem-Solving Report Format
Ideally, a Problem-Solving Report is akin to a decision memorandum. A Problem-Solving Report must be thoroughly researched and be richly accompanied by endnotes.
A good Problem-Solving Report will have the following parts:
1. Executive Summary
A short abstract of the paper content including all the Problem-Solving Report parts
2. Problem Background
A. History of the Problem, B. Current Status of the Problem, C. Importance of the Problem, D. Definition of the Problem.
Introduction to the problem. Keep it short and to the point. This section frames the issue.
3. Problem Statement
A. Identify the objectives of the entity that is trying to solve the problem and the Statement of the Problem, B. Statement of Methodology Used in Analysis, C. Identification of Actors Involved, D. Impact of the Problem
It concisely identifies the problem to be solved. It may be in the form of a question.
4. Alternative Solutions
A. Listing of Alternatives Considered, B. Comparison of Alternatives, C. Constraints, Including Political
Enumerate the options and describe them briefly. It is common to provide three options, but don’t force it to that. For and against arguments do not constitute two options. Give the decision-maker some choices. Analysis of Options How does each option serve the objectives listed above and what are the other cost issues associated with each. Consider positive and negative externalities. You should be sensitive to the options’ domestic political repercussions.
5. Recommendations
A. Description Recommendation(s), Rationale for Recommendations, Plan for Implementation, Provisions for Monitoring/Evaluation
Select the best option and recapitulate why it is the best. Do a reality check. Does the recommendation solve the problem; is it actionable? Your recommendation should ideally be a stand-alone, and not require another iteration of the process to figure out how to implement it. A good recommendation is never a suicide pact.
6. References
7. Appendices