Graffiti

Reprinted from BHA News, Spring 2001
BHA and NET Office Attack Graffiti Battle
The Coral Way NET office and Administrator Tony Wagner are working closely with BHA Secretary Mac Seligman to investigate ways to improve the City of Miami's graffiti eradication efforts.

Mr. Wagner and Mr. Seligman are meeting with representatives of other areas that seem to be able to combat graffiti effectivelykind of a search for "best practices" in handling the problem that seems to come along with the urban turf.

"You don't see graffiti on the Metrorail columns, for instance," Mr. Seligman said, "because they take care of it as soon as it's spotted."
Miami Beach also seems to do a pretty good job, so officials from the Beach were also consulted to find out how they manage to keep it under control. The Beach utilizes community service personnel ­ people assigned community service hours through the court system ­ as an integral part of its graffiti-busting team.

The Metrorail, which falls under the Miami-Dade Transit Authority, has people on staff whose sole job is to take care of graffiti, Mr. Wagner explained.

For the City of Miami, the prospects of emulating these success stories look bleak, with only two graffiti busters for the entire City proper.

It takes someone who is dogged about it, a vigilante of sorts, Mr. Wagner said.

For the BHA, that has been Mac Seligman, who makes the calls to the NET office as soon as he spots the offending scrawl. He'll be working with the City to come up with creative solutions with very limited resources. Thanks, Mac, and keep up the good work!

If you spot graffiti, please report it to the NET office at (305) 859-2701. If north of 15th Road, call (305) 579-6007.