Police warn of the uses of gang graffiti; work to remove it with community program
Dec 23, 2024, 11:23 AM | Updated: Dec 26, 2024, 7:14 am
Graffiti remains on a cinderblock wall in the parking lot of an LDS Church near 3000 South and 2900 East in Salt Lake County Nov 7, 2006. Salt Lake City's Metro Gang Unit has a crew specifically set up to deal with removing graffiti. It's working to keep the city safe. (Jeffrey D. Allred)(Submission date: 11/07/2006)
(Submission date: 11/07/2006)
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County’s Metro Gang Unit has a crew specifically set up to deal with removing graffiti.
Graffiti is not only a nuisance, it can also be a method of communication between gangs. Sometimes, it can signal a fight over territory.
“[If] you’re starting to see a total uptick of graffiti in your area … [Then,] that graffiti gets crossed out and is replaced by other graffiti,” Program Director of the Salt Lake Area Gang Project Nate Hutchinson said. “That’s, basically, two gangs talking to each other … arguing over that particular territory.”
Because of this, it’s a high priority for police to get the markings removed as quickly as possible.
“We have a program that is called Residents Against Graffiti, where we have workers that, all day long, … go out and they’re constantly covering up graffiti,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson said if you spot graffiti within Salt Lake County, call the graffiti hotline at 801-972-7885 or email graffiti@saltlakecounty.gov.
Michele Rowe is a traffic reporter for KSL NewsRadio.
