Proposed Graffiti Ordinance

GRAFFITI and CRIME

Our City Council has proposed an ordinance that would impose large fines on property owners with graffiti on their buildings. The proposed ordinance was sponsored by Council members, Teall, Hohnke, Taylor and Greden. A copy of the ordinance is attached.

This is simply a bad ordinance. Most building owners probably don't want the graffiti. They probably see themselves as the victim of vandalism. Now they will also be the victim of this ordinance. Will the city expand the concept of penalizing the victim to include larceny, and assault? Will the motto of Ann Arbor be: “If you can't pay the fine don't report the crime”?

The literature on crime and graffiti does not support the claims made for the ordinance.

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