Crime Reduction Partnerships
Graff 'n Art, a Positive Graffiti Policy in the City of Bruges
Graff 'n Art, a Positive Graffiti Policy in the City of Bruges
(Please note this page has been translated for Internet publication into English from Belgian.)
Graffiti originated in New York, then came to the metropolises of Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Brussels,... and soon also found its way to smaller cities such as Bruges. For some years, graffiti constituted a substantial problem in the city centre of Bruges.
Through the years, the tags and pieces ‘marked' the streets more and more in consequence of a cumulative effect. Not only did the graffiti create a degenerate impression in some districts, many art-historical buildings were also severely damaged.
To put a stop to this development, the city of Bruges set out a positive graffiti policy: graffiti is recognised as an art form, but graffiti as vandalism is dealt with in a repressive way.
'Graff 'n Art, A Positive Graffiti Policy in the City of Bruges' was one of the six nominated projects for the European Crime Prevention Award 2001, and was the overall winner.
1. A Multi-Track Policy: Work on Various Fronts
In 1996, the city council decided to deal with the graffiti problem via the safety and partnership contract and in accordance with the principles of an integrated approach; a strategy that is both preventive and repressive and that is applied on four fronts at a time.
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Repressive component: punish what is not allowed…
Spraying graffiti on facilities that are not intended for this purpose was and remains a punishable act. Therefore, the police department established a special graffiti cell that scrupulously traces new graffiti offences and reports them. On the basis of these new offences, offenders are tracked down and identified.
This approach soon resulted in the exposure of about twenty very active graffiti sprayers. Their files were handed over to the public prosecutor’s department. For the prosecution, the city of Bruges and the police insisted on an alternative punishment. Pending the decision of the judge, they agreed with the Public Prosecutor in Bruges on letting the graffiti sprayers participate voluntarily in the removal of the graffiti damage they had caused.
A report of these voluntary cleaning activities was added to the individual file, as a result of which the graffiti sprayer concerned could demonstrate his ‘good will’. In other words, the punishment is a form of voluntary preparatory alternative self-sanctioning, the first of its kind in Belgium.
The results of this approach become visible in the number of new graffiti offences, which have shown a downward trend since 1997: from 555 in 1997 to 177 in 2000.
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Curative component: remove what could not be avoided…
In order to deal with the cumulative effect of the decay caused by graffiti and the erosion vandalism, the policy plan also provides for a drastic cleaning operation. Money was invested in a real graffiti bus. A discarded police van was skillfully converted into a graffiti removal bus.
This bus was equipped with professional façade cleansers, such as a high and low pressure installation, a water reservoir and several cleaning products, as a result of which graffiti can be professionally removed from smooth and porous surfaces. With the help of stone powder and a special spraying and rinsing technique, graffiti is removed from each surface without damaging the vulnerable walls. The graffiti is removed by a technical engineer. He carries out this task together with the security guards who are working with the municipal prevention department within the framework of the coastal action plan during the off-peak season.
The municipal prevention department has developed a graffiti recording system in co-operation with the police: all reports of graffiti offences are collected in a central reporting station. In a first phase, attention was paid to the different districts separately.
In the year 2001, most of the graffiti has been removed, as a result of which new graffiti can now be removed more rapidly. Newly sprayed graffiti is removed within 48 hours. As a consequence, erosion vandalism is prevented and the barrier for spraying new illegal graffiti is raised drastically. A strategy of deterrent in other words.
The graffiti is removed free of charge. In this way, victims of graffiti avoid becoming a victim of graffiti for a second time. This extremely low threshold results in the fact that virtually all victims assent to the removal of the graffiti. The investment costs are borne by the city, the personnel costs and the material costs are partly borne by the safety and partnership contract.
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Artistic component: masters and pieces, taggers and tags as contemporary art…
Obviously, the city council of Bruges is not insensitive to the artistic talents that lie hidden behind the graffiti in Bruges and wants to allow these artists to give free rein to the expression of their contemporary art form, although not unconditionally…
In exchange for a certain commitment, areas that may develop into graffiti art galleries are put at the disposal of graffiti masters, who are given the space to express their artistic talent in a positive and generally acknowledged manner. Beginning graffiti sprayers can enter workshops.
About 20 projects have already been successful. They can be classified in various categories that are in keeping with the universal philosophy behind the project. In other words, the projects are organised for beginners and masters.
2. The Five Criteria: Pros and Cons
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Prevention of criminality: graffiti as a sign of dynamism instead of graffiti as an expression of vandalism
By means of a combination of punishments and tolerance, the multi-track policy of the city of Bruges aims at creating an atmosphere in which an expression, which was originally experienced as criminal, is transformed into an acceptable artistic activity. In the past, graffiti created an atmosphere of deterioration and criminality, an atmosphere that aroused feelings of insecurity in large sections of the population.
The city of Bruges opted for a cocktail of repressive and preventive elements in order to reduce to a minimum graffiti as a phenomenon of nuisance. This cocktail now seems to yield results: the number of tags has decreased considerably, the degenerate street scene is being eliminated, people become familiar with artistic graffiti.
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Solutions ‘in dialogue’
The policy plan of the city of Bruges is based on the opinion that an efficient prevention strategy can only be effective in consultation with the graffiti sprayers themselves. That is why the city decided from the outset to comply with the request for an area of artistic expression for the graffiti artist. With the launch of a number of ‘art zones’ and the creation of a ‘permanent art zone’, the city meets a need, although not unconditionally.
The graffiti sprayers are expected to observe the principles of the graffiti charter: no illegal graffiti, warn young graffiti sprayers about the possible consequences of illegal graffiti spraying. The proverbial big stick is essential. That is why the police follow the graffiti phenomenon meticulously. Via a number of identifications, the graffiti sprayers have become fully aware of the fact that the police keep close track of the developments. At the same time, however, the police refer the graffiti sprayers to the prevention projects and point out the possibilities of the artistic zones.
Collaboration for the removal of the graffiti is also stimulated: in consultation with the public prosecutor’s department and the police, graffiti sprayers whose file has not yet been dealt with, are involved in the removal of the graffiti before they appear in court. This enables them to demonstrate their positive commitment to the graffiti project.
Finally, the general public is also addressed: via an informative brochure and the graffiti art zones, the ‘criminal’ connotation of graffiti is put into perspective and citizens are invited to have the graffiti, to which they fell victim, removed professionally.
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Concrete results: visible!
This project lends itself to visible results. The number of graffiti offences decreases very clearly as a result of the removal actions. These removal actions clearly reduce the attraction of certain ‘black spots’, which used to be the object of permanent graffiti trouble. Police reports and reports of town guards and security guards show that the number of new graffiti is very limited.
The removal activities are immensely appreciated by the residents and the owners of the premises: there is practically a total willingness to have the graffiti removed. Quite often, the graffiti removal team also gets relieved and positive reactions from local residents: the quality of life in their street is clearly improving.
Via the artistic projects, the contact with the graffiti sprayers is guaranteed. The initially hostile relationship between the graffiti sprayers on the one hand and the police and the local authorities on the other hand has been transformed into a dialogue. New challenges relating to graffiti are created permanently by the municipal prevention department, and the graffiti sprayers are involved to the largest possible extent. The success of this dialogue also appears from the reaction of the local authorities. Initially, the council only wanted to allow highly structured artistic projects (removable panels with a limited freedom of choice of theme).
In the mean time, a ‘Living Wall’ where graffiti artists can give their imagination free rein, has been created in August 1999. This popular place has developed into a meeting place for experienced and less experienced graffiti sprayers. The graffiti sprayers experienced the extension of this zone with 6 goods wagons, which were donated by the Belgian railways, as “the max” or as they put it aptly : “The most beautiful present ever…”
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Applicable elsewhere?
The project can certainly be applied in other cities; the four components can serve as framework, the interpretation depends on the characteristics of the city concerned.
However, there are a number of conditions, the most important of which is undoubtedly an adult dialogue with the graffiti sprayers. Their request implies an adjustment of the project. At the same time, the necessary means must be made available for the police department in order to guarantee the strict follow-up of illegal graffiti. This follow-up is essential for the actual follow-up of the agreements with the graffiti sprayers (i.e. no illegal graffiti in exchange for the support of artistic projects).
Furthermore, there must be a good dialogue between the prevention department and the police, and the most important condition implies that the police do not put the necessary mutual trust between the prevention worker and the graffiti sprayers under pressure, e.g. by asking names or facts.
A third condition is the methodical organisation of the removal. The removal of graffiti in places makes little sense: the street scene does not change considerably and old graffiti keeps attracting new graffiti. That is why it is also important that the removal is organised free of charge. Anyone who has to pay for the removal of something he did not cause himself, gets the feeling of being a victim twice. An investment by the local authorities will therefore be inevitable.
A last condition is communication: there must be a clear communication about all components with the citizens. It increases their sense of involvement as well as the mutual respect between graffiti sprayers and citizens.
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The quality of life improves!
The introduction of the project has already made clear that all possible attempts are being made to reach a win-win situation for all parties. At the same time, this formula increases the quality of life of the local community and the various subgroups:
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Owners are compensated via the free removal.
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The systematic removal improves the street scene considerably and eliminates the irritation of residents and visitors.
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Via the art projects, graffiti sprayers are given space to express their talents and they have the respect of a large part of the population, that starts to look at graffiti from another angle.
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The city council is released from an unwanted source of tension.
The improved quality of life created by this project concentrates on both target groups: concessions are made to offenders as well as victims. Graffiti sprayers are made aware of the seriousness of the material and immaterial damage caused by their acts.
Over the years, both target groups have entered into a dialogue, as a result of which their motivations are mutually accepted and respected. Tags do not belong on other people's property and are therefore regularly removed free of charge by the municipal graffiti team. On the other hand, the artistic areas are widely appreciated, which constitutes a mainspring for the graffiti sprayers to continue working in the same manner.
European Crime Prevention Award 2001 Jury Assessment
Large cities in particular are disfigured by graffiti in tunnels, on walls, roll-down shutters and fences. This includes the Belgian city of Bruges, a city with many vulnerable
historical buildings. Graffiti evokes feelings of being unsafe and gives cities and streets a degenerated look.
In 1996 Bruges thought up a special approach to graffiti: a combination of repressive action, the rapid removal of graffiti, and encouraging attractive graffiti in special places.
The results are undeniable: the number of new cases of graffiti dropped from 555 in 1997 to 177 in 2000. It has made the city visibly cleaner. Moreover Bruges has tried to propagate
graffiti as a form of art. All in all, in the jury’s opinion, an effective and creative approach.
Last update: 24 May 2005