Graffiti takes away more than it offers. In a recent post about City Living, Al-Alo offered the issue isnt really panhandlers. its the feeling of that lawlessness. I agree with him and extend his feelings about panhandlers to taggers and graffiti artists. They offer little but take away a lot in terms of quality of life, security, and peace of mind for residents and business owners. The police do very little to respond to graffiti and typically offer an explanation that the tagger must be caught in the act for them to do anything about it.

I am sure that this is a game, as I have watched the graffiti on the Aud grow every weekend for the past few months. It gives the impression that no one really cares about the buildings or the community, and that hurts us all.

My quadrant of My Fair City has experienced a wave of graffiti and tagging since the winter, and we've been scrambling with several strategies to address it. I noticed that this seminar will be coming our way in July, and this evening we've gotten out the word to the neighborhoods and it looks like we'll be prepared to take advantage of it. I can't thank you enough for this timely item.

A related side note: we have a very interesting group of young men in My Fair City who do graffiti art in out-of-the-way places and occasionally where invited by a building owner. Three years ago they created a mural on the campaign headquarters of our now-mayor, but their best work is done in our abandoned subway tunnel downtown - some of it is simply spectacular.

The graffiti problem in Buffalo has been rather tame. I'm sure it was much worse before (10+ years ago) but I could be wrong. I appears as such taggers as ATAK, HERT, BF, etc... etc... have been found.

It is upsetting, possibly more unsettling, that graffiti is primarily done in the City. We know where the graffiti "artists" are coming from, and it's not the City for the most part, it's the 'burbs. Although from time to time I'll see some graffiti in Amherst - yes Amherst. My point is that if people think that they can spray paint on buildings in the City (from the 'burbs) then why won't people that live in the City do the opposite.

Why?? It is because those that live in the City want to retain the quality of live that exists here in Buffalo and the surrounding areas. We want to be stewards of others property (public and private). We need to take control on our properties and neighborhoods so only good things can happen.

As you can see this is something that burns me a bit. Graffiti can be done in good taste, yes, but not when it destroys and scares off people and businesses from an area.

I'm sure there will be comments to this one....

This sounds extremely dull. I can barely imagine the kinds of Flanders that would go to a police seminar to learn about youth counter culture and how to suppress it. I hope this is actually performance art.

The graffiti problem in Buffalo has been rather tame. I'm sure it was much worse before (10+ years ago) but I could be wrong. I appears as such taggers as ATAK, HERT, BF, etc... etc... have been found.

It is upsetting, possibly more unsettling, that graffiti is primarily done in the City. We know where the graffiti "artists" are coming from, and it's not the City for the most part, it's the 'burbs. Although from time to time I'll see some graffiti in Amherst - yes Amherst. My point is that if people think that they can spray paint on buildings in the City (from the 'burbs) then why won't people that live in the City do the opposite.

Why?? It is because those that live in the City want to retain the quality of live that exists here in Buffalo and the surrounding areas. We want to be stewards of others property (public and private). We need to take control on our properties and neighborhoods so only good things can happen.

As you can see this is something that burns me a bit. Graffiti can be done in good taste, yes, but not when it destroys and scares off people and businesses from an area.

I'm sure there will be comments to this one....