By Laurie Watt 

Graffiti isn’t art; it’s vandalism, according to Barrie’s new Graffiti Management Strategy.

Barrie’s taking a 3R approach to unwanted “art”: Record, Report and Remove.

Approved this week, the new policy urges the public to call Crime Stoppers if they see someone putting unwanted “art” on public or private property and report it by e-mailing police (graffiti@police.barrie.on.ca). The policy also suggests they e-mail digital photographs to enable detectives to look for patterns and to use as evidence should charges be laid.

“The strategy formalizes and endorses what we’re doing now,” said Craig Hebert, Barrie’s (acting) operations general manager.

“The police are very committed to attacking the graffiti issues. Individuals involved in this kind of activity are often involved in others, or this is a starting point on a path police don’t want them to go down.”

Barrie has been struggling with the issue of how to control graffiti for a year, as the unwanted “tags” appear on more and more pieces of public and private property – whether utility or Canada Post boxes, bridges or walls of buildings.

“What you see is a broad-based community program to deal with graffiti. Does it go far enough? Perhaps not, but it’s a start,” said Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard, chairperson of the city’s Community Services Committee.

“(Graffiti) really incites and instills fear in the community. It certainly is not art. It is vandalism, plain and true. We’re focused on a removal policy.”

The city has committed itself to removing graffiti on its property within 24 to 48 hours of it being reported.

The challenge, however, comes when dealing with private landowners, whose buildings or boxes, have been tagged. Hebert noted these landowners are victims of the crime, yet they must adhere to the city’s zoning and property standards bylaws.

The new policy also calls on increased education regarding graffiti, especially in the schools, as youngsters learn that it is a crime, not an art, said Brassard.

“One broad approach is to work with our education system to identify these students, or artists, who would put graffiti on buildings. This is not a random act,” he said.

“By working with our education system and identifying who is practising this ‘art form’ at school, we might be able to stop it before it happens. The plan is to provide information with the costs of this, and also providing an outlet for their creativity, perhaps through the MacLaren (Art Centre).”

As for the utilities and Canada Post, they are often focused on whether their equipment works or on their business – not on the graffiti.

“They’re as challenged as we are, to address graffiti on their property,” said Hebert.