National Social Marketing Centre

 

Overview

In 2006, Brent Council was spending approximately £450,000 a year cleaning up graffiti. A review by Brent’s Anti-Social Behaviour Steering Group led to the formation in 2007 of the Brent Graffiti Partnership Board, a multi-agency partnership aimed at reducing graffiti in the borough.

Based on insights gained from engaging with young people, graffiti offenders, victims of graffiti vandalism and local residents, the Brent Graffiti Partnership Board decided that stronger investigation and enforcement, combined with diversionary activities, was needed to steer young people away from taking up graffiti vandalism.

Activities have included: community public artworks; workshops in street art with ‘draw off’ competitions; parkour (free running); football sessions; ASBOs (antisocial behaviour orders); fines for prolific ‘taggers’; and a responsible trader scheme whereby spray paints are not sold to those underage.

Results

This dual-pronged approach has resulted so far in 40 prolific taggers being apprehended, a reduction in graffiti vandalism and an increase in the percentage of residents who feel that the clean streets are a good thing about Brent.