7/13/2015- Graffiti Questions Answered- SPD Community Newsletter

July 13, 2015

From the SPD Community Newsletter: Question of the Month

I’m confused about how to report graffiti. I thought I was supposed to report it to Police, but then I’m told I’m supposed to report it to Seattle Public Utilities. Which is it? Do you all really care about graffiti?

First off, yes, we care about graffiti. Graffiti is vandalism and property damage. It is a crime and we do want you to report it. If you see someone in the process of committing graffiti vandalism, please call 911 for a crime in progress. If you discover graffiti on your private property after it has occurred, you can: call our non-emergency line to report it, (206) 625-5011.

When calling the non-emergency number, you will be given two sets of voice prompts. At the first prompt, press 2, at the second prompt, press 8 to be connected with a call taker. As this is the non-emergency line, it may take a while to be connected to a call taker, so please be patient.

Report it on-line via our Website . The website allows you to upload a photo of the graffiti. If you see graffiti on public/government owned property (street signs, retaining walls, poles, traffic control boxes, parking meters, bridges, mailboxes, etc.), do report it to police via the above methods, but also, report it to Seattle Public Utilities. You can use their Graffiti Hotline, (206) 684-7587, or report it on-line at SPU Website.

There is also a “Find It, Fix It” smart phone app you can use to report graffiti. Here is the link for more information: Find It Fix It. Seattle Public Utilities also has helpful hints regarding graffiti, including graffiti prevention & removal, graffiti removal help, and opportunities for people to volunteer to remove graffiti. When graffiti appears on government owned property (like those listed above), it is the responsibility of that governmental entity to remove the graffiti, just as you, as the private property owner, are responsible for removing graffiti from your property.

To read the entire SPD Newsletter click here: SPD Newsletter