Call for impartial evaluation of effectiveness of Helsinki's “Stop the Scrawling” anti-graffiti campaign

Thirty arrested at demonstration on behalf of street-art

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The National Council for Crime Prevention (RTN) has called for an impartial examination into the results of the Stop töhryille "Stop the Scrawling" campaign, aimed at ridding the capital of graffiti from its walls and public places.
      “This is a project where there is no proper research data available on its results”, says RTN Executive Secretary Hannu Takala.
     
The City of Helsinki Public Works Department’s Stop the Scrawling campaign celebrated its ten-year anniversary in Helsinki’s Finlandia Hall yesterday.
      In the “invitation only” occasion the campaign presented its latest statistics: in 1998 there were in excess of 67,000 scrawlings or graffiti in Helsinki, while last year the figure was a mere 5,771.
      At the same time it was announced that the separate anti-graffiti campaign will come to a close at the end of the year and the activity will thereafter be part of the department’s official operations.
      With regard to graffiti, the City of Helsinki has adopted a zero-tolerance approach. Graffiti and tags have been removed immediately. Even legitimate commissioned street-art has been later painted over.
     
Crime Prevention Councillor Hannu Takala is not convinced by the Stop the Scrawling campaign’s methods of compiling statistics. The council led by Takala is an expert body appointed by the government working in connection with the Ministry of Justice.
      “It is obvious that Helsinki’s city image is visibly cleaner”, Takala says.
      This, however, is not necessarily an indication that less graffiti and tags are painted than before. Instead, it speaks of the fact that the city is being cleaned efficiently.
      According to Takala some of the removed graffiti are up to ten years old.
      “I have suggested that the City of Helsinki properly investigate the significance of the project. But for some reason, a mentality prevails within the city administration, according to which objective information is not wanted.”
      Takala is also worried about those graffiti painters who are caught. Since they are charged for the cleaning expenses the burden of debt may prove overwhelming with regard to the rest of their lives.
     
A leading official from the Public Works Department, however, dismisses Takala’s criticisms. The graffiti and tags are counted every year on the same 700-kilometre route.
      “It could not be more accurate than that”, the civil servant defends the method of counting.
      For safety reasons the civil servant has asked to remain anonymous.
      On previous occasions the person in question has received threats and verbal abuse.
     
At the moment the dispute in Helsinki centres around the question of whether a legitimate place for displaying street-art should be set up in the city.
      “An approach of a total ban is not necessarily the key to success”, Takala says, referring to Helsinki’s zero-tolerance approach.
      According to Takala, in Bruges, Belgium, the practice of organising a legitimate place for graffiti has worked “extremely well”. Those painting their art elsewhere are prosecuted and their scrawlings are removed immediately.
     
On Tuesday around 500 people took part in a graffiti demonstration, which was part of the Töhryfest ("Scrawling Fest") happening organised as a counterblast against the Stop the Scrawling campaign.
      By nine o’clock in the evening, the police had apprehended 27 demonstrators for throwing bottles, vandalising police vehicles, and spray-painting shop windows. Two of the police officers monitoring the demonstration were hit in the head by flying bottles. One of them was injured.
      During the evening and overnight, 25 of those apprehended were released. Two still remained in custody this morning.
      The demonstrators complained that the police were somewhat heavy-handed in their actions.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  "Stop the Scrawling" campaign fails to invite Youth Department to its ten-year anniversary (16.9.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat