Madison Park

Graffiti Program

Help Stop Graffitt in Charlotte

Departments / Neighborhood Dev / Code Enforcement / Graffiti

Anti-Graffiti Program
In an effort to improve the appearance and stability of our neighborhoods, the City of Charlotte created and implemented an anti-graffiti program in 1998 (City Code; Chapter 10, Section 83b). The program emphasizes anti-graffiti education, ordinance enforcement and prevention. Since it inception the program has assisted in the cleanup of more than 3,000 graffiti incidents (through 01/05).

The Key to our Future
Teenagers (ages 13-18) commit much of the graffiti vandalism in our City. In an effort to discourage this youthful activity, Neighborhood Development visits students at their school and gives educational presentations on graffiti. These presentations stress the cost of graffiti to both the owner of the property and the neighborhoods it occurs. With the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), students are also made aware that this is not just youthful indiscretion. It is a crime.



Students also assist in the physical cleanup of graffiti on City/County property and on properties owned by individuals that are not physically and/or financially able to have it removed themselves. Since 1998 student assistance has saved the City and property owners thousands of dollars in cleanup related cost.

Gangs and Graffiti:
Gangs often use graffiti to mark areas they operate in. The City's Code Enforcement Division works very close with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) to identify gang related graffiti and to map the area where specific gangs operate. This information keeps officers up to date on what gangs are operating in a particular area and abreast of possible problems.

Team Work = Savings in Both Time & Money
In 2002 the City's Code Enforcement Division teamed up with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to improve the reporting of acts of graffiti. The program, IT'S NOT ART. IT'S A CRIME, made available an internal e-mail address where police officers can report graffiti directly to the graffiti inspector. "Direct reporting" has greatly decreased the cleanup time and duplication (forms, taking pictures etc.) that was occurring between the two departments. This service has become very popular. E-mail reporting accounts for 1/3 of all cases citywide. In November 2002, the program was expanded and made available to all citizens.





Contact Us
It takes all our citizens to make our city a great place to call home. If you see graffiti anywhere in our city please call or e-mail us. Most graffiti on public property can be removed within 48 hours. Removal from private property may take longer due to notification of property owners. And remember if you see someone in the act of vandalizing property with graffiti, DO NOT CONFRONT THEM. You may be witnessing a gang member marking the area with their gang's symbol. Call 911 and report it to the proper authorities.

Charlotte is a special place to work in and to call home. All of us working together can keep it that way. If you have additional questions or would like more information call Mike Sullivan, Code Enforcement Division of Neighborhood Development at 704-336-7811.

Chapter 10, Section 10-213
Removal of graffiti. It shall be unlawful for any person owning property, acting as manager or agent for the owner of property, or in possession or control of property to fail to remove or effectively obscure any graffiti upon such property. Any such person convicted of a violation of this paragraph shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00). In determining the fine to be imposed, the court may consider the efforts, if any, taken by the violator to remove or effectively obscure the graffiti during the preceding calendar year. The mandatory fine provided in this section shall not apply to a property owner, agent, manager, or possessor of property if such property owner, agent, manager or possessor has been victimized two (2) or more times by graffiti within any calendar year and, during such time, has removed or effectively obscured such graffiti from the property in a timely manner.

To make a report either e-mail or call 311

graffiti@ci.charlotte.nc.us is the e-mail address to make a report or simply call 311. Please help keep Madison Park Graffiti Free and report any tagging you see!