Roll call graffiti is a listing of the monikers of two or more members of the same gang, along with the gang name or symbol. Gang graffiti can mark the boundaries of the gang’s claimed jurisdiction or “turf,” be used to taunt or threaten other gangs or individuals, boast of achievements and send coded business communications, such as the time and place of drug transactions. Recognizable by its block letters and general lack of artistic flourish, gang graffiti exists primarily as a communication tool. “They're trying to put as much fear and intimidation to the community, to law enforcement and to other rival gangs,” he said. The motivation behind the gang graffiti is fear and intimidation, he adds. There are two very different motivations behind the two, says Kephart, and each motivation can be used to go investigate and reduce the problem. The two most prevalent categories of graffiti vandalism are gang graffiti and tagging graffiti. While graffiti artists like Banksy make headlines, graffiti as artistic expression represents only a tiny percentage of graffiti worldwide. Understanding the different motivations of each type of graffiti is critical to understanding how to combat it. But while some graffiti artists have risen to prominence in the art world, one needs only answer a single question to distinguish “graffiti art” from “graffiti vandalism” – did the person creating the work have permission from the property owner? Absent permission, graffiti is a crime.Ī guide on graffiti published by the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services explains that “rather than being a senseless destruction of property, graffiti fulfills certain psychological needs, including providing excitement and action, a sense of control and an element of risk.” These motivations range from boredom, self-expression, prestige and fame to defiance of authority, hostility, anger and intimidation.įortunately for law enforcement, the psychological motivations that drive a graffiti vandal to commit the crime also impel them to leave a trail of clues to their identity, location and affiliations. Graffiti as a form of self-expression has been around since the invention of writing. Cleanup of graffiti-based vandalism costs in excess of $12 billion annually in the U.S., according to a 2015 study by the paint company Valspar. The irony was not lost on Timothy Kephart, the founder of GraffitiTracker, a web-based solution that helps identify, track, prosecute and seek restitution from graffiti vandals.
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