Dodge City's graffiti task force has developed a general plan for reducing graffiti but is still working on specific strategies to address the problem.
The plan, which was unveiled during a task force meeting Tuesday at City Hall, proposes a multifaceted approach to addressing Dodge City's graffiti problem, starting with educating the public about graffiti and ways to prevent it. This element of the plan includes publicizing solutions through local media outlets, assisting victims in painting over the graffiti and meeting with church and social service groups.
Other components of the plan include:
• Enforcement: Strengthening the city's current graffiti ordinance, working with the court system to enforce stiff penalties for repeat offenders and correlating graffiti data with gang activity.
• Eradication: Removing graffiti within 48 hours after it appears, offering removal kits to victims and asking community groups to help victims paint over the graffiti.
• Prevention: Launching communitywide projects to help eliminate graffiti, encouraging legitimate activity in public settings to discourage crime and enlisting the assistance of the Dodge City Police Department's gang detail.
The city's current graffiti ordinance doesn't require rapid removal of graffiti, and it doesn't do enough to help victims, said Deb Rodda, executive director of Community Recycling Environmental Waste/Keep Dodge City Beautiful.
"Some of these victims were being victimized again," she said. "Sometimes they were being victimized three times because CREW comes and paints it right away. So we're going to try to fix that."
She said a new ordinance should also regulate sales of spray paint, a common tool in creating graffiti.
CREW/KDCB is applying for various grants to help fund its anti-graffiti campaign and will likely approach the Dodge City Commission for additional funding.
CREW/KDCB's chairman, Larry Corpus, said he did not think discussing the graffiti problem with the commission first would be effective. Instead, he said that he thought the task force should ask the commission directly for funding for the campaign.
But Police Lt. Craig Mellecker said he thought the task force should organize a tour of graffiti-stricken areas for city officials as a way of convincing them to back the campaign.
"If we get them on board, maybe they'll be more open about going before the commissioners and supporting it," he said.
The task force also discussed methods of educating the public, including working with local media outlets and using programmable signs to convey an anti-graffiti message.
Rodda said the media would play a key role in the campaign's success.
"We need to have a sustained partnership with media outlets," she said.
Reach Eric Swanson at (620) 408-9917 or e-mail him at eric.swanson@dodgeglobe.com.
DODGE CITY —
