Graffiti Vandalism in Chicago
With the upcoming summer months, graffiti service requests may be on the rise.
The interpretation of graffiti has systematically changed. In a study by About Manchester, they claim that COVID-19 has impacted the way people think about art, especially graffiti.
However, many of the service requests shown are at the fault of vandalism. Several homes experience graffiti vandalism along with their houses and garages. As shown in GoogleMyMaps, the service requests are located all throughout the city.
Chicago, as one of the most populated cities in the US, has several graffiti murals, several of them were on the rise back in August following the passing of George Floyd. Respectively, these types of graffiti art only highlight the quality of our city. However, any other form of graffiti isn’t tolerated.
The Graffiti Removal Program in Chicago, claims that ill-intended graffiti “hurts property values and diminishes our way of life”. The program itself depends on community groups, block clubs, and residents themselves to report the vandalism in order for the city to send in their trucks to remove the graffiti.
The trucks blast high water pressure and baking soda to effectively remove the product from most building services.
One of the most notable cases of graffiti vandalism is back in 2019 when Cloud Gate or locally known as “the Bean” was vandalized. Someone had spray-painted several white letters on its side. Later on, a total of seven people were arrested and six were charged for misdemeanor criminal trespass, while two-faced felony criminal damage charges.
Major Lori Lightfoot made a timeless statement claiming that graffiti is unacceptable wherever it is, anywhere in the city, and that the people of Chicago deserve a high-quality way of life.
For any graffiti removal requests, please contact 311 or visit chicago.gov to file a request online under the Graffiti Removal Services “tab”.
