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Graffiti Increases in Downtown Columbia

Graffiti artists are costing some Columbia businesses hundreds of dollars in downtown Columbia. Columbia Police arrested two taggers last month and are searching for at least two more.

Police say graffiti artists are difficult to apprehend as they usually tag in dark, secluded places, or during inclement weather.  

Sergeant Chad Gooch says that the Columbia community has been helpful in tracking down the taggers.

“From our point of view, we take a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community,” Gooch said. “We’ve had strong support from stakeholders in the community.”

Downtown building owner Alex Waigandt’s brick walls have been tagged over the years, and he says that preventing graffiti is an issue for all citizens, not just law enforcement.

“Downtown Columbia is our home. I mean, it belongs to all of us. It’s one of the very few things that really detract from the value of our city. You can’t expect the cops to do everything,” said Waigandt.

The old historic brick in downtown Columbia is the most expensive to clean, sometimes costing business owners hundreds of dollars. The District office provides tagged businesses with a graffiti removal kit to help speed-up the cleaning process. Executive Director of The District Katie Essing says that quick removal of graffiti is helpful in preventing future tags.

“Generally the rule of thumb is that if you can remove it within a couple days, that’s good because the graffiti artist is looking for publicity and exposure. The quicker it’s removed, the better for everyone.”

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