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Picture of Home Hardware paint cans with hat on top (updated)

A bit before Justin Trudeau arrived at Terry Sheehan's campaign office today, a couple of guys were trying to remove unsightly graffiti tags from the building. The media were on their way. The building would be on the news.
David Helwig
David Helwig
A bit before Justin Trudeau arrived at Terry Sheehan's campaign office today, a couple of guys were trying to remove unsightly graffiti tags from the building.
 
The media were on their way.
 
The building would be on the news.
 
And the graffiti-cleaner-uppers weren't having much luck.
 
The tags had been there for many months.
 
"They've been here too long. They're baked on. They aren't really coming off," one of the cleaner-guys said.
 
Up the street at Foch Cleaners, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service and other agencies were launching a multi-agency program aimed at cleaning up and reversing Queenstown's graffiti blight.
 
"Crime and social disorder cannot be the sole responsilibity of the police," said Police Chief Robert Keetch.
 
"It's a shared responsibility with municipal government, private business and community residents."
 
The five-day downtown graffiti blitz, Chief Keetch said, is an example of a new model of policing involving the mobilization and engagement of others.
 
It's a collaborative project of CIty Police, the Downtown Association, the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Heritage Home Hardware, which provided cleanup supplies.
 
The first tags were removed this afternoon from the sides and back of Foch Cleaners by students from Eugene Pagliaro's Grade 9 construction class at St. Mary's College and other volunteers.
 
Chief Keetch emphasized that the tags being removed are different from the street art created by community improvement projects such as Graffiti Reframed.
 
"Tagging is not art," the chief said, "but rather involves criminal behaviour by certain individuals."
 
One-quarter of downtown graffiti is the work of just three taggers, he said.
 
Police will continue to enforce the law by prosecuting taggers.
 
The graffiti cleanup is being co-ordinated by Detective Constable Joe Addison of City Police.
 
 
The full text of a release from Sault Ste. Marie Police Service follows.
 
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Officers are frequently called to complaints of damage to property from local businesses and home owners who report mischief to their property involving graffiti. 
 
Taggers, as they are commonly referred to, place a marking or name on various types of property. 
 
Some believe that these markings are artistic; however their actions cause thousands of dollars of damage to the property of the innocent victims and taxpayers of their respective communities.

Graffiti has a negative effect on our community in many ways. 

It contributes to reduce property value, a decline in commercial sales, increased crime rates in affected areas, wasted tax dollars for cleanup and decreased use and enjoyment of public facilities.

It diminishes citizens’ feelings of safety and security.  

Report all incidents of graffiti damage to police.

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service has been part of a community committee that includes city council, school boards, the Downtown Association as well as others to tackle the graffiti.

This cleanup approach with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is part of the Community Mobilization Model in which the police service rallies the community to assist with problems.

Under the lead of Detective Constable Joe Addison of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, a five day graffiti cleanup of Queenstown has become a reality.

On Tuesday August 18th at 2 p.m. the cleanup was officially announced at the press conference held in the downtown area at Foch Cleaners.

Foch’s was one of the businesses that gave permission to have their property cleaned during this initiative.

Chief Keetch was joined by Downtown Association President Duane Moleni, Detective Constable Joe Addison, Rick Muskaluk of Heritage Home Hardware as well as Jerry Dolcetti, Commissioner from the Engineering and Planning of City Hall.

Heritage Home Hardware has donated material and supplies for the volunteers to use. 

Summer students from both the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service and City of Sault Ste. Marie will be involved in the cleanup.

The graffiti that is being cleaned in this initiative is different from the street art in projects such as Graffiti Reframed. 

This project involved businesses donating wall space which local youth artists created murals in the downtown area. 

As part of the project local youth learned art skills during workshops that were held in locations such as the Neighbourhood Resource Centre.

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service will continue to enforce the law where it applies to individuals who are damaging property with “tagging”. 

Contact information: 

Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, 580 Second Line East, Sault Ste. Marie ON P6B 4K1. (705) 949-6300 or [email protected]

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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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