Graffiti Program Making a Difference
GroundWork PG crew removes graffiti – photos 250News
Prince George, B.C. – A program dedicated to ridding the City of unwanted graffiti was back in the spotlight this morning.
Graffiti-Free PG is a City-led partnership that covers unwanted graffiti free of charge to affected home and business owners.
It’s a collaborative effort involving the City, GroundWork PG, the RCMP, and Downtown Prince George.
(GroundWork PG is an employment program for men who were previously incarcerated. It helps transition them back to the local community).
From left, Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall, Downtown Prince George Executive Director Colleen Van Mook and Prince George RCMP Corporal Craig Douglass
Representatives from all these groups gathered at 4th Avenue and Brunswick Street urging people to participate.
“Graffiti sends a bad message to people who come to visit, not just our downtown but our entire city,” said Mayor Lyn Hall. “Graffiti has a negative message to it and we want to ensure that we clean that up and with the cooperation of the folks in this partnership we’re going to get the job done and it will continue on.”
Launched in 2014, he believes the program has made a difference. “I think what it does is it provides the businesses in the downtown area with some confidence that we’re going to take care of it.”
RCMP Corporal Craig Douglass agreed it’s working.
“I notice my family can’t drive without pointing out the graffiti when they see it. Just because that’s what I’m looking for and when you’re actually looking for it you see it.
“But those occurrences are less and less and I want to say it’s a tribute to the community as a whole.”
Colleen Van Mook, executive director of Downtown Prince George, added business owners have been taking full advantage of the program.
“Very much so because we’ve been able to reach out this year, early spring, we’re getting a lot of uptake in terms of this program.
“But also we do want to emphasize that our business owners take responsibility themselves and are right on it. We would encourage that as well.”
Douglass estimated just a handful of people, no more than 10, are largely responsible for the vandalism. He said police have had some success in hunting them down.
“I’m talking in the 90 percentile of the graffiti in this community is done by that group. In the last 18 months we’ve identified and essentially arrested two persons for a large percentage of the graffiti at that time.
“One has gone through a restorative justice type program and the other is currently going through the courts.”
Those wanting to take advantage of the free program are asked to provide a photo and contact either the City or Downtown Prince George for more details.
Comments
This Mayor and Council continues to move in the right direction when it comes to sprucing up our city. First they came down hard on derelict property and home owners, and now this graffiti program… for the most part I think they have their priorities right, and not a single trip to China. :)
JGalt, you state….”for the most part, you think they have their priorities right”
I’m surprised that you would say that after their decision on the Otway Road rezoning! Perhaps you missed that decision??
Perhaps you should go back a story or two!
So much for having their priorities right, eh??
Some low self esteem issues or getting the meds mix right with JG? Any post that contradicts what it has posted is met with a flurry of thumbs downs as they pump their own. quite the piece of work.
But all the paid for business graffiti is OK? Damn advertising everywhere you go.
When I was a kid growing up here and the cops caught you defacing others property you wouldn’t get the opportunity for this phony ‘restorative justice’ or the court system. They’d dump you 5 miles down the Blackwater all bruised up and walk back getting to ponder about no repeating this behavior.
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