PRO-ACTIVE GRAFFITI STRATEGY LAUNCH

As graffiti vandalism annoys and hurts many city residents, the Christchurch City Council is to launch a pro-active strategy to help counter the problem.

This Pro-Active Graffiti Strategy will be launched on Friday 30 March at 6pm at the Youth and Cultural Development Centre, 92 Lichfield Street.

Demonstrations of aerosol art and break-dancing will be held at the launch of the Council initiative.

As the Council wants to turn the tide of graffiti in the city, the Council’s Legal Art Co-Ordinator, Sharon Williams says it is important that young people involved in the destructive behaviour are rehabilitated.

The most successful graffiti vandalism reduction programmes in the world have a strong rehabilitation focus.

Under this type of programme young people involved in tagging go through a process of restorative justice (which may include the painting out of tags or some other community work) and then undertake a structured and well-supervised legal art programme.

Sharon Williams says that this approach has the potential to positively influence young people, who previously had given little thought to their behaviour and the impact on other residents.

She says that by taking part in a legal-art project young people are subjected to positive role models and are expected to conform to rules.

Sharon Williams says that working to rehabilitate young people is a difficult but rewarding task.

There could be apprehension about such a programme by some residents but she believes that rehabilitation of taggers is an important key to reducing the level of graffiti vandalism.

Further information: Sharon Williams: 025 310 536 or 372 2327.

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