GRAFFITI AWARENESS WEEK CLEAN UP FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY

6/10/06

Graffiti will be blitzed in a borough-wide clean up as part of Capital Standards Graffiti Awareness Week (9-13 October 2006).

Young offenders supported by Camden Council’s Youth Offending Team will be working with grime-fighters from the council’s Street Environment Services Team and young people from a local housing estate to tackle graffiti tags at Jack Taylor School, NW8 on Monday (9 October). The young offenders are taking part in a reparation project and resettlement and aftercare programme, aiming to make amends and work with the local community.

Meanwhile, former offenders will be cleaning up a graffiti ‘hot-spot’ at Black Path, between Finchley Road and West End Lane on Friday (13 October). This is part of the Community Payback scheme, a project run jointly between local councils, the Probation Service and the Metropolitan Police’s Safer Neighbourhoods programme. It aims to help offenders make amends to the local community and address the crime and the fear of crime that concerns local people.

Camden Council officers will also visit schools to highlight to students the damage that graffiti - a criminal offence - causes.

Cllr Mike Greene, Executive Member for Environment, Camden Council said:

“The local environment is very important to residents, and we want Camden to be an attractive place for people to live, work and visit. Graffiti is a blight to the way a local area looks, as it makes it seem neglected and can contribute to people feeling unsafe. During Graffiti Awareness week, and all year round, we will crack down on anyone who destroys residents’ right to live in a clean and attractive place.”

Cllr Ben Rawlings, Executive Member for Community Safety, Camden Council said:

“By taking part in this graffiti removal project with the support of Camden Council’s Youth Offending Team, these young people and former offenders are going some way to acknowledging responsibility for their actions and repairing harm. They are beginning to understand the impact of their actions on their community and giving something back, as well as improving the appearance of the local area.”

Stephen Smith, Headteacher, Jack Taylor School, which caters for children with severe learning disabilities, said:

“We are pleased that the graffiti problem is being tackled, and it’s good that the young people are working within the local community to make amends and gain skills as well.”

Removing graffiti costs Camden Council around £250,000 per year. Camden Council’s grimefighters clean graffiti from the borough’s streets on a regular basis, and any containing racist or offensive words is removed within two working days of the council being told about it. Residents can report graffiti problems online on the council’s website at www.camden.gov.uk by email: street.environment@camden.gov.uk or by ringing 020 7974 6914. The team can also remove it from private property - with the owner’s consent and with a reasonable charge for staff costs and materials - and give information and advice on graffiti removal products and cleaning up local neighbourhoods.

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