Repaired and restored (Image: Fat’s Chicken & Waffles)

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell will come to the site of widely condemned act of vandalism to a Central District mural Thursday to make the case for spending on new resources including a dedicated clean-up team to address what the mayor says is a “surge in graffiti in Seattle.”

Harrell Thursday is scheduled to appear outside MLK and Cherry’s Fat’s Chicken & Waffles where CHS reported in February on artist James Crespinel’s work to restore his mural of Martin Luther King Jr.  The large mural on the side of the building had been targeted during the city’s MLK Day celebrations with spray painted vandalism critical of the civil rights leader’s role as a centrist.

The mayor’s appearance is part of his push for new funding to combat graffiti and vandalism as the Seattle City Council works to finalize his 2023 budget proposal with bids to step back on reforms including spending to create a larger SPD and a controversial plan to redirect funding from the city’s big business tax from COVID-19 recovery, housing, and the Green New Deal to patch up the city’s general fund.

“Since 2019, incidents of graffiti reported by the public have grown over 50%, including nearly 20,000 reports of graffiti in 2021,” the Harrell administration claims.

Harrell’s proposals include creation of a dedicated $600,000 a year graffiti and vandalism response team and adding new Park Rangers to the city’s public spaces including Cal Anderson.

The mayor’s proposal also seeks nearly $40 million for “clean city, trash mitigation, encampment resolution, and RV remediation initiatives” including encampment sweeps under a new Unified Care Team.

Harrell has made city clean-up and anti-graffiti efforts centerpieces of his public safety efforts beyond policing.

The pandemic and the 2020 protests saw an explosion in graffiti and vandalism in the city created partly by fewer people on the streets. Many Capitol Hill buildings hit hardest were part of major chains like the E Olive Way Starbucks that was targeted repeatedly in 2020 before the company shuttered it this year amid a swirl of controversy over its politics and labor tactics. The pandemic’s anti vandalism efforts also created some of the bright spots of Capitol Hill’s COVID era as “plywood art galleries” sprung up around the neighborhood to help protect windows and glass doors during long closures.

While some of the tagging and graffiti Harrell’s new efforts will address is clearly skillful and considered art, ongoing damage to glass and walls can be an expensive part of doing business or owning property in the city.

Earlier in the year, his “Day of Service” effort included Cal Anderson and Capitol Hill street clean-ups. Meanwhile, the mayor launched a new $2 million Storefront Repair Fund to help small businesses pay for busted windows and doors.

UPDATE: Harrell’s plan will include what his office calls “six major pillars” including working with the City Attorney to crack down on prolific taggers and a new Many Hands Art Initiative “to install new public art, providing opportunities for creative workers” —

• Implementing Best Practices to Increase Abatement – Mayor Harrell’s plan and proposed budget will enhance staffing and resources for Seattle Public Utilities’ Graffiti Rangers, allowing them to easily remove graffiti using specialized equipment and effectively discourage re-tagging. The plan will also improve interdepartmental coordination across City departments involved in anti-graffiti work.
• Increased Assistance to Reduce Graffiti on Private Property – New resources will be offered to victims of vandalism and existing resources will be made easier and more equitable to access. In addition to an abatement kit pilot program and the Office of Economic Development’s new Storefront Repair Fund, SPU’s Graffiti Rangers will proactively offer City abatement services at low- or no-cost to eligible property owners.
• Many Hands Art Initiative – Mayor Harrell’s plan will engage with artists, businesses, volunteers, and others to activate spaces with art, mitigating and preventing graffiti, through the Many Hands Art Initiative. The Seattle Office of Arts and Culture is already seeking partners to install new public art, providing opportunities for creative workers. As part of this initiative, they are also developing artist-led youth programs to give young people a sanctioned, safe way to pursue an interest in street art.
• Enhanced Volunteer Programming and Coordination – Building on experience from anti-graffiti volunteers, Mayor Harrell’s plan will include providing up to 1,000 graffiti abatement kits and training individuals, groups, and businesses how to use them effectively. Additionally, the City will launch new Days of Caring in each district starting in 2023, bringing volunteers and community groups together to enhance and beautify neighborhoods.
• New Approaches to Enforcement – Working with the City Attorney’s Office and SPD, the plan will increase enforcement of graffiti offenses, striking a balance with larger penalties for the most prolific taggers and expanded diversion options for low-level offenders. These will include community service work, mentorship programs, and alternative avenues for creative expression to discourage future offenses.
• Continued Collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation – Early collaboration between the City and WSDOT has reprioritized cleanups along their rights of way, with hundreds of work hours going toward abatement efforts during late-night lane closures for I-5 expansion joint work this summer. The City of Seattle will continue to work with WSDOT to prioritize cleanup and abatement along the interstate and other rights of way, pursuing an efficient, coordinated approach moving forward.

“I am glad to see Mayor Harrell announced steps today to improve the City’s response to the massive increase in graffiti that Seattle has experienced over the past two years,” Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison said about the Harrell plan in a statement. “Graffiti taggers who vandalize public and private property are doing enormous harm and costing taxpayers, small businesses, and neighborhoods millions of dollars in property damage. It needs to end.”

Davison said her effort “focused on enforcement strategies to arrest and prosecute the most prolific and destructive graffiti taggers” is needed.

“In order to see a meaningful change on our streets, the city must send a firm message that it will not tolerate continued destruction and defacement of our neighborhoods,” Davison said.

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