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Graffiti Audits of Rockdale City Local Government Area
Over periods spanning 5 working days for each survey, the Project Manager undertook two graffiti audits throughout the Rockdale area in April and October 1998. The aim of these audits was to:
1.Obtain six-month snapshots of the extent, type and sites of local graffiti.
2.Establish a method of recording the visual impact of graffiti.
3.Identify changes
Audit Path
The identical path of the audits followed the areas main roads, rail lines, cycle and pedestrian ways. It included town and shopping centres, stations, industrial areas, suburban streets, tourist and recreational attractions. The forms of transport used in undertaking these audits included: trains, car bicycle and walking.
Counting Sites
Each point recorded as a site measures a wall, frontage or structure such as meter boxes or poles affected by graffiti. Where there were large structures such as warehouse walls or storm water channels with extensive graffiti a point was tallied for every 20 metres of structure affected. e.g. If the side and back walls of a shop were affected 2 counts of graffiti where four sides of a meter box were tagged 1 count of graffiti was recorded.
By counting large surface areas affected rather than allotting one point to each property the tally more accurately represented the visual impact of graffiti.
Forms of Graffiti
Five main forms of graffiti were identified in the project's audits:
Tags - stylized signatures or symbols identifying the graffitist.
Scrap - includes undefined mess such as paint bombs splotches made by throwing balloons or condoms filled with paint, as well as long streaks of paint made by running beside surface.
Scrawl - writing, scrawl, scribble
Graphics -more complex deliberate patterns, caricatures, ornate writing
Layers - extensive layers which may include all of the above.
In both audits tags were the predominant form of graffiti. Fifteen (15) distinct tags were recorded in April compared to eight (8) in October. Shops, offices and utility structures about the town centre were the targets of taggers.
Scrap was the second most prevalent graffiti form. Most of the residential property affected had been 'scrapped' - suggesting quick, opportunistic attacks under the cloak of darkness. This was later confirmed by residents interviewed.
Only along the railway line were most the complex graphics found. These were in places that are isolated at night. While there were patches of graphics at some industrial premises, these had been scrawled and scrapped over.
Away from the railway line there was very little evidence of aerosol expertise or fine tuned graffiti technique.
Site Categories
Six (6) categories of site types were used in the audits. These classifications are based on the structure's general economic function and provide an indication of which group/sector/or industry type is responsible for the maintenance of these structures. The site categories used are:
Residential Property includes dwellings, adjoining structures such as garages and fences.
Utility Structures includes the property of Sydney Water, electricity, gas and telecommunications providers.
Industrial Premises includes warehouses, factories and depots that are located in light industrial zones.
Typically the primary customer contact of these businesses occur away from the site or independent of the structure. e.g. sales are organised through telecommunications or other service outlets that are located elsewhere.
Retail and Service Outlets includes shops, offices, restaurants, hotels motels, clubs and outlets where customers can directly contact the business.
State Rail Property includes stations, yards, machinery and structures that are the property of NSW State Rail.
Council Property all property that is maintained by Council.
April 1998.Audit - Graffiti Solutions
Table 1. 1 Incidence of graffiti by Sites
 | April | | October | |
| Site | No. | % | No. | % |
| Industrial Premises | 71 | 39.4 | 78 | 50.3 |
| Retail & Service Outlets | 42 | 23.3 | 32 | 20.6 |
| State Rail Property | 27 | 15 | 21 | 13.5 |
| Residential Property | 20 | 11.1 | 5 | 3.2 |
| Utility Structures | 15 | 8.3 | 17 | |
| Council Property | -5 | 2.8 | 2 | 1.3 |
| Total | 180 | 99.9 | 155 | 99.9
Findings of April 1998 Graffiti |
Industrial Premises recorded the highest frequency and severity of graffiti. Many layers of graffiti were observed on 36 (50%) of sites indicating that rapid removal strategies had not been attempted. Very little graffiti was observed upon industrial premises that operated throughout evening hours - with better lighting and higher people traffic increasing the casual surveillance of these areas. Unaffected areas also evidenced higher security measures with one entry and exit point.
Retail and Service Outlets evidenced a relatively high strike rate yet graffiti severity was much less than that observed on industrial, State Rail and Utility Structures. 'Tags' and 'scrap' accounted for 39 (93%) of the graffiti observed. Seven (7) distinct tags were recorded, using 3 paint colours. Less than 7 graffitists were probably involved s most 'taggers' use more than one signature
Compared to affected industrial premises these service outlets evidenced a higher commitment to employing anti-graffiti measures such as graffiti repellent paint surfaces and rapid removal response. At the time of the audit 3 proprietors were observed removing graffiti. The worst hit areas were surfaces backing onto lane ways which may have high daytime people traffic yet poor night time surveillance.
State Rail Property - Railway stations were relatively free of graffiti, evidencing a high commitment to anti graffiti measures and also a focus on maintaining customer contact points. The highest frequency of attacks were along embankment walls. In view of the isolated and extensive areas that State Rail responsible for this is a very good result.
Council Property was directly targeted in the design of the audit's pathway to maximise scrutiny of Council's Rapid Removal implementation. While 5 sites were damaged, 2 of these were being painted over at the time of the audit, one site was a tagged tree and directions to deal with that strike were followed up that day. The auditor reported the other 2 sites and graffiti removed, within 24 hours.
Residential Property - The strike rate on residential property was alarmingly higher than utility structures and not much lower than State Rail. As a consequence this project devoted extensive attention to addressing the problem of graffiti on residential property.
Utility Structures - are often located away from ready observation so the audit may under represent actual graffiti damage. While utility structures accounted for less than 10% of strikes the severity of graffiti as high, often layered and reflected a low commitment to removal.
0verview of April 1998 Audit
- At the risk of insulting local graffitists, it must be noted that the spray painting was extremely clumsy and evidenced dismally poor aerosol technique. This suggested that the culprits were inexperienced.
- Fresh graffiti appeared in monotone, suggesting that the culprits had very limited access to paint.
- Complex designs associated with 'hip hop' culture were evidenced only in rail embankment pieces and older weathering graffiti in the industrial areas. This suggested that the most recent wave of graffitists were not well established in 'hip hop' culture, were generally inexperienced or lacked talent.
- Both audits were conducted by Council's Community Development Officer. Each audit took 35 hours, however during the October audit there was a greater opportunity for information sharing between members of the community and the officer, particularly in residential and retail areas where actions addressing previous graffiti attacks were reviewed.
- While the audit process is relatively time consuming a great deal of social environment data can be collected.
- Issues about graffiti can be readily cross-referred with planning, safety, youth recreation, and tourism and inter generational relations issues.
- Council's Outdoor staff record details of graffiti strikes through the implementation of the 24 hour Rapid Removal Response. The Graffiti Solutions audits provided further scrutiny of this response and a guide to its impact throughout the area.
Interviews With Residents
Due to the alarmingly high number of residential properties recorded in the April audit working with residents to find solutions has been given high priority in this project.
The April Audit identified 5 main locations where vandals had attacked residential properties, One hundred (100) households were approached and invited to participate in a residential survey. Whilst not all of these households had been attacked, they were located close to strikes. Thereby the householders were affected by the visual pollution, may feel intimidated by the attack and may be able to offer local knowledge of graffiti activity.
Approaching Residents
One hundred (100) households were approached by Council's Community Development Officer, using an initial door knock contact. Where there was no answer a leaflet outlining the project and an invitation to participate was left in the letterbox with details of how to directly contact the officer.
Less than 40% of households answered the initial door knock. However, of those who did have direct contact 23 people representing different households agreed to participate. A further 10 participants contacted the Project Officer after speaking with their neighbours.
Concerns regarding survey participation included:
- how will information be used
- fear of being identified and thereby targeted
- concerns of being forced to incur graffiti removal expenses
- suspicion that the culprits may live close by and that any participation in the project may incite further attacks.
- English fluency.
Given these serious concerns a response rate of 33 participants from 100 households approached can be regarded as high.
Note: Rockdale City Council has staff who are fluent in community languages and have been trained as interpreters. All respondents who expressed concern about language fluency were offered interpreter services through Council, The St. George Migrant Resource Centre or Translation and Interpreter Services While the availability of these services was new information given to several residents - all elected that the interview with them be conducted at a time when a family member / friend with fluent in both languages could be present.
All households contacted were assured that information given would not be connected to their names or addresses, that these details would not be stored as a data base that could be accessed by marketing companies and that the project was about Council seeking graffiti solutions with the community rather than.
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