Members of Groundcrew PG paint over graffiti on Blackburn Community Centre – photo 250News archive

Prince George, B.C. – The graffiti  removal campaign  for Prince George has wrapped up  for this year.

During the course of the campaign, which was launched in July,  some 55 properties were spruced up by  having graffiti painted over.

Under the program, Groundwork PG (which is made up of men who are making the transition from incarceration to life  back  in the main stream) provides the  necessary labour to paint over  graffiti.

The campaign spent $3500 this year.   That’s only a portion of the $20 thousand dollar grant for the project which is slated to last two years.  The money not used this year,  will be  carried over to  2015.

The program is weather dependent and it is now too cold to paint. It is hoped the program will be back in operation  in the spring when the weather improves.

The Groundwork PG crew removes the graffiti at no charge to the property owner, provided the property owner has filled out an application  to the City to have the graffiti removed.

The program may have been off to a late start, but it has had an impact in the downtown.   There are very few visible scrawls on walls, even in the alley ways. All you are likely to see is the painted spot where the graffiti used to be.

Graffiti is a crime,  and  studies have shown it can lead to  more serious  criminal   behaviours.  Cities that have adopted  zero tolerance for  graffiti have seen their  crime rates  drop.