What the police have planned for August

Graffiti and tagging has gotten worse in Sault Ste. Marie over the last two years, from Goulais Avenue to Dacey Road.

Realizing it cannot be completely eradicated through law enforcement, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is coordinating a graffiti and tagging cleanup in the city’s downtown core.

Exterior walls of businesses will be scrubbed and graffiti will be painted over with the help of community-minded volunteers.

“On August 18 we’re going to start a five day initiative on Queen Street, and we also want to move into the Gore Street area and ultimately into James Street if time permits,” said Joe Addison, detective constable with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, speaking to SooToday after a meeting with several community stakeholders at the Sault Police Service building Wednesday.

“We want the public in general (to help out), we want business owners who have a vested interest in the downtown, we want students, we want volunteers, and there will be police there as well, pitching in,” Addison said.

A formal call for community involvement will go out before August 18, police said Wednesday.

“We are certainly hoping it becomes an annual event, ultimately run by the community,” Addison said.

Home Hardware is on board as the primary sponsor for the event, providing paint and necessary tools for the cleanup, Addison said.

Paul Montgrain of Sault Forest Products and Conrad Marasco of Allpro Window Cleaning were on hand at Wednesday’s meeting to advocate the sale (to any interested property owners) of special, professionally-applied material to peel away graffiti as opposed to a fresh coat of paint.

Among stakeholders present at Wednesday’s meeting were City Councillors Steve Butland, Frank Fata and Susan Myers, city of Sault Ste. Marie staff, Downtown Association general manager Duane Moleni, representatives of the Sault PUC and Canada Post (which have had their equipment sprayed with graffiti) and members of the Sault’s arts community.

While members of the Sault’s arts community and others advocated the use of community graffiti boards as an outlet for those who spray graffiti, Councillor Fata was not sold on that idea.

“Business owners are upset,” Fata said.

“Law enforcement has to be crucial…people say this is artistic, but this is not what I’m here to listen to,” Fata said.

However, Monique Rollin, Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Inspector, said there are “huge hurdles” when it comes to law enforcement against graffiti and tagging, as many offenders are young offenders aged 15 to 17.

“Ultimately I would like to think that we can at least have one person (who sprays graffiti or tags) at the end of our initiative that may have a different view of what he’s been doing,” Addison said.

Studies have shown some taggers eventually give up and move on after seeing their tags have been promptly painted over by property owners, Addison said.

Community cleanup efforts aside, Addison told SooToday graffiti and tagging is mischief and punishable by law, and Sault Police are always on the lookout for those committing this offence.

“Sentencing varies based on the age of the individual (young offenders or adults), it could be monetary fines, probation orders or restitution, it’s up to the judge to make a decision on punishment,” Addison said.

“Our city is beautiful and we need to maintain that, and I think what’s been going on is harming the city’s appearance.”

“The police are going to take a hard stand on the graffiti and tagging and it’s not going to be tolerated,” Addison said.

Community spirit notwithstanding, a volunteer who asked not to be identified told SooToday “when you get company in from out of town and they see the graffiti, they’re disgusted.”

“This city never used to be like that,” the volunteer said.

(PHOTO: Sault Police want to lead a community effort to scrub away or paint over tags such as this in the downtown core, July 29, 2015. Darren Taylor/SooToday)