A Winning Strategy for Battling Graffiti

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The Adams County Graffiti Program is a new direct service model for addressing graffiti in an urban area that has suffered persistent vandalism for many decades. The goal of the program was initially to provide a service that was more cost-efficient than the previous third-party vendor service. However, the program has been so effective and efficient (generating a 288% increase in productivity and a 76% decrease in total cost in just ten months of work through 2015) that we have transcended that goal and now use the program not only as a means of eliminating graffiti but also as a way to support businesses, improve residences, enhance crime investigations, reduce gang activity, and beautify neighborhoods in a lasting and meaningful way.