The City of Great Falls is cracking down on graffiti within the city after recently seeing a rise in defacement of property, and is asking the public to help report graffitied areas.
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The city says there was an uptick in graffiti this winter, one of the worst they've seen on city property, especially in city parks. They are asking citizens to use the online Citizen Complaint Form to report graffiti in the city like in parks, on garbage cans, or private property.
According to city code (City Code 8.51.030), “graffiti” can mean any walls, fences, driveways, or walkways which are broken, defective, deteriorated, in disrepair, or defaced due to any writing, inscription, scratch, or other markings.
If graffiti is found on your own property, the incident should be reported to the Great Falls Police Department though their Incident Report Form or by calling the non-emergency dispatch number at 406-455-8599.
The city also noted that according to municipal code, if graffiti is on private property, it is the duty of the property owner to remove the graffiti within 72 hours, or be subject to a possible fine.
City of Great Falls communications specialist Meredith Dawson explained, “We wish it wasn't an issue in the city, but realistically, it is, and it's an issue that we take very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community as safe as possible, so we really want to make sure graffiti is removed, especially graffiti that comes from local gangs that might be sending messages or challenges or warnings. We know it's not an ideal situation for property owners, and we are very appreciative for any help you may give us in removing graffiti in our city.”
The city says they don’t have the resources necessary to remove graffiti from private property, but works with the departments of Park & Recreation and Public Works to remove graffiti on city property as quickly as possible.
In the case of the skate park, where a large amount of graffiti can be found, the city removes anything that is considered to be obscene or gang related, while leaving harmless artwork alone.
The city code regarding graffiti can be found here.
