GRAFFITI KIT CONTENTS:
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16 oz spray bottle of TagAway graffiti remover.
Suggested Use: removing marks from smooth surfaces such as street signs, news paper
boxes, and light poles)
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1 can of silver spray paint
Suggested Use: painting over marks on silver light poles
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1 can of black spray paint
Suggested Use: painting over marks on black areas of fire hydrants
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Rubber gloves
Suggested Use: It is recommended that you always wear protective gloves and eyewear
when using chemicals or paint. Gloves have been provided, but we recommend you also
wear safety glasses.
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A razor sticker scraper
Suggested Use: removing stickers
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2 shop rags
Suggested Use: wiping excess chemicals from smooth surfaces, and gloves, etc.
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A plastic storage box
For convenient storage
Information on our graffiti remediation program, and instructions on documenting and removing
tags
HYDE PARK GRAFFITI REMOVAL PILOT PROJECT
Thank you for your interest in participating in the Hyde Park Graffiti Removal Pilot Project.
Hyde Park is currently initiating a new pilot program for graffiti remediation. The current program
involves two components 1) reporting and documenting tags and 2) distribution of 25 graffiti
removal kits to residents/businesses to “adopt a block”.
REPORTING and DOCUMENTING TAGS
It is important to report all public property tagging instances to both KCPD and the City Action
Center or “3-1-1”. KCPD can use information provided by Hyde Park residents in prosecuting
taggers and making recommendations for appropriate sentences in the event of prosecution. In
addition, it provides information about incidence levels, and potential changes in the nature of
tags for ongoing police investigations and allocation of departmental resources. Reporting tags to
the City’s Action Center and requesting that tags be removed, informs city staff of instances of
graffiti that have damaged city owned property (including street signs, light poles, and fire
hydrants) so that these tags can be removed and/or city property can be replaced at city
expense. Removal of tags on private property is the responsibility of the property owners.
Volunteers should NEVER remove tags on private property without prior authorization from the
owner. This program is primarily targeted at removing tags from public property and in common
areas of our neighborhood.
In general, it is extremely important to remove tags as quickly as possible to send a message to
taggers that graffiti will not be tolerated in our neighborhood. By allowing tags to remain on
private and/or public property we send a message that our neighborhood is not concerned with
graffiti and it is okay to tag here, which in turn can encourage other criminal activities and a
deterioration of property.
Email Address for Reporting Tags
To ensure that tags in Hyde Park are reported to all of the appropriate parties, to centralize the
record of graffiti activity neighborhood wide so that this information can be used in securing
additional funding for our program and supporting KCPD prosecution efforts, and as a
convenience to program participants, we have created a dedicated email address for submitting
documentation of neighborhood tags.
That email address is:
hpna.graffiti@gmail.com
Steps for documenting and reporting tags:
1. Take a photograph of each tag and denote the location (a log for this purpose is included
in this packet)
2. Remove the graffiti immediately after photographing, if possible
3. If it is not possible to remove the tag immediately, please submit your photo and location
information to the designated Hyde Park Graffiti email address, per the instructions below
Photos and locations of tags will be collected and shared with KCPD central patrol weekly to
request assistance with removal and prosecution.
PILOT PROGRAM – “ADOPT-A-BLOCK” GRAFFITI REMOVAL KITS
In 2010, the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association allocated $750 for this program and purchased
supplies for 25 graffiti removal kits that will be distributed to strategic blocks throughout Hyde
Park.
Volunteers (residents or businesses) who receive one of the 25 kits would be asked to “adopt”
and use the supplies to remove tags in a 1 block vicinity of their residence or business or a
location that may be assigned to them. Residents or businesses interested in volunteering for
this pilot program can send an email to hpna.graffiti@gmail.com and they will be contacted about
availability of blocks and kits.
During the initial pilot of the program we will be monitoring the impact, distribution of volunteers,
response to the program, and the amount of supplies being used to remove the tags. Volunteers
may be asked to track usage of supplies to assist in determining future quantities and funding
needs (ex. How long will a kit last? How many tags can you remove?). After the pilot is complete
we will report back on the results and make a recommendation for future graffiti remediation
activities in the neighborhood.
We would like to thank Westlake Hardware in Westport who provided special pricing to us on our
supplies for these initial kits.
INFORMATION ABOUT TAGGING IN HYDE PARK
A few months ago, a subcommittee of board members met with the Kansas City Police
Department to discuss the ongoing graffiti problems in the neighborhood and possible strategies
and resources for addressing the problem. KCPD provided us with the following information:
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Tagging in Hyde Park is mostly malicious tagging and NOT anything gang related.
This type of tagging is done by “scribes” who make marks using a “tag” or pin name
This type of tagging is prevalent in other parts of midtown as well
Some of it may be connected with Kansas City Art Institute students who consider their
tags as forms of art.
If the Art Institute finds out one of their students is tagging and it can be proven, this may
be grounds for being expelled.
Many taggers take much pride in their work and even frequently have Myspace or
Facebook pages featuring their works
Tagging occurs 24 hours a day, not just at night
When tags stay up, it becomes an open invitation to retag, and sends a message that the
neighbors don’t care.
By removing tags quickly we send the opposite message. KCPD recommends removing
tags within 48 hours if possible.
It is not always good to repaint walls that have been tagged. Sometimes this creates a
blank canvass that encourages taggers to return and retag over and over.
If we can document sufficient property damage and a tagger is apprehended, this
information may possibly be used to elevate charges from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Proper documentation of a tag includes a photograph with address location
If a tag is on private property, the property owner is responsible for removal. If it is on
public property, report it to 3-1-1
Recently KCPD has made some arrests in conjunction with tagging in the midtown area
(yay KCPD!)
HYDE PARK GRAFFITI PROGRAM INCIDENT LOG
Instructions: For each tag, please take a photograph and then indicate below, the date the
photograph was taken, the location of the tag, any pertinent comments (under description), and
reference information to identify the appropriate photograph (ex. Sequence #, label, or file name,
as appropriate).
Name of volunteer:
DATE
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION
PHOTO REFERENCE