Graffiti in Idaho Falls
Graffiti cases are down this year compared to the same period last year. It helps that volunteers clean it up quickly after it is spotted. According to the broken window theory, keeping graffiti cleaned up helps prevent more graffiti and more serious crime.
You can report graffiti by calling our volunteer coordinator, Joelyn, at 612-8655 or you can report it online at our website.
The problem many cities have (and us until 2008) is that graffiti often occurs on private property and no one other than the property owner has the right to remove it. When the property owner lives in Las Vegas and we only have a mailing address, getting permission to remove it falls apart.
Some cities will clean up the graffiti and bill the property owner. The Idaho Falls City Council wisely opted for the right to clean it up without charging the property owner, reasoning that they didn’t want to victimize the property owner twice.
By the way, there is a little ambiguity in the ordinance that has left some people with the impression that the property owner will be charged for the expense of clean-up. That is not the case.