Don’t let graffiti hurt your business

If you own a commercial building, it’s vital to take action against graffiti. This crime promotes other unlawful behavior and discourages customers from visiting your business. Americans spend over $8 billion on graffiti removal each year, according to San Antonio’s code enforcement office. Any company can take a variety of steps to tackle this growing problem.

1. Report and eliminate graffiti as quickly as possible. Austin, Texas requires businesses to banish it within a month, but faster removal is a more effective deterrent. When you see someone committing an act of vandalism, don’t hesitate to call the police.
2. Put surveillance cameras near walls, windows, parking areas, signs and other potential targets. This will discourage criminal activity and help police identify offenders. Try to make the cameras visible without placing them within reach.
3. Some people try to avoid detection by defacing buildings at night. Window Film Magazine reports that this usually happens on Halloween. Bright outdoor lighting can reduce vandalism after dark. To conserve electricity and attract more attention, use motion-activated lights.
4. Encourage local volunteers to create outdoor murals. These large paintings make walls more attractive and prevent most graffiti. Although this isn’t practical in every situation, it works well when a business has blank walls that face a street or parking area.
5. Use barriers to keep vandals at bay. They don’t want to climb a chain-link fence or walk through thorny bushes. Try to choose items that block access to a wall without becoming targets for graffiti. Some individuals will happily “tag” dumpsters or wooden fences.
6. When painting walls, select colors that make spray paint harder to see. Many vandals find it unsatisfying to deface dark gray, brown, green or blue siding. Textured surfaces also prevent graffiti, according to Keep America Beautiful.
7. Regularly maintain your buildings and parking lots. When they notice broken windows, flaking paint or potholes, criminals often think that they can get away with vandalism. People are also less likely to call the police if they see someone deface a poorly maintained building.
8. Never promote graffiti in any way. If you tolerate it on one wall, it will probably spread to others. Don’t post pictures of it on your company’s website or social media pages. Any decision that exposes graffiti to a larger audience will encourage vandals.

These techniques may help you save time and money, but they can’t stop every act of vandalism. Fortunately, there’s an economical way to minimize the damage. Anti-graffiti films let you quickly and easily remove paint from walls and windows. To learn more about this remarkable product, visit us online at https://sunbusterstint.com/.