Besides defacing property, graffiti signals disorder and lack of stewardship in a neighborhood and invites crime.
Communities can adopt a zero tolerance policy for vandalism.
The first step is to identify locations or objects prone to graffiti and to teach property owners effective removal methods. Participants should include property owners victimized by graffiti, schools, government, businesses, recreation facilities, public transportation, utilities, public works, and shopping malls among others. The police, a crime prevention organization, or business can identify and help remove graffiti. Some areas have established ordinances requiring business owners to paint over or remove graffiti from their properties. A typical ordinance will set out graduated sanctions against property owners who ignore graffiti problems on their properties, starting with warnings and followed by fines and other penalties for those who do not remove graffiti within set timelines.