|
Graffiti
hurts our community;
"Paint Out" Day set for Saturday
By Pedro Marin
Community Outreach Manager
Gwinnett Housing Resource Partnership, Inc.
Special
to GwinnettForum.com
|
Pedro
Marin
|
APRIL 19, 2002 -- "Graffiti, graffiti, graffiti!"
If only I could repeat the word three times out loud and graffiti
would disappear! It is an eyesore on our fences, walls, buildings,
electric boxes, and especially at homes.
But back to reality. Graffiti is a reality and won't go away.
When I first moved to Gwinnett in 1995, I hardly noticed the graffiti.
It was there, but on a small scale. Then I started seeing words,
colors, and shapes drawn or scratched on buildings, overpasses and
other surfaces. Still I told myself, "This is Gwinnett not
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or any major city."
I really opened my eyes in the fall of 1999 when I completed the
Citizen's Police Academy with the Gwinnett County Police. This was
for me a wake-up call to the challenges facing Gwinnett specially
gangs and graffiti.
Graffiti is used by gangs to mark territory, list members, offer
drugs for sale, or send warnings to rivals. It may include letters,
symbols, or numbers known only by gangs and law enforcement officers.
It is also very expensive to remove. National Graffiti Information
Network estimates more than $7 billion is spent to fight it every
year.
That's why we as community have to recognize the problem and start
taking ownership to find long-term solutions. As a community leader
and especially as a parent to a teenager, I started educating the
community with gang prevention presentations at youth conferences,
community groups, churches, employers and on Hispanic radio, not
just in Gwinnett, but in Metro Atlanta.
We must educate the community that gangs have no race or color,
and that your children are at risk. It's sad when you are approached
by a tearful mother trying to explain the problems and signals that
her child is giving her, and coming to a conclusion that he is an
active gang member.
There are signals that every parent should be aware of. Is your
child writing graffiti in their book bags? Is he maybe dressing
in one specific color? Is he coming home with expensive items such
as name brand tennis shoes, sunglasses, jewelry and maybe some cash?
If so, you should be suspicious. Mostly, LETS BE A PART OF OUR KIDS'
LIVES.
One part of the solution is the formation of the "Graffiti
Hurts" Coalition. Comprised of citizens, businessmen, elected
officials, school representatives and law enforcement officials,
the Coalition has been educating the community, painting over existing
graffiti and working with the Gwinnett County Police Department
to increase enforcement and surveillance over the past six months.
Graffiti decreases a person's feeling of safety and security in
a community. It decreases the property value and causes a loss or
no business growth. Also graffiti sends the signal that nobody cares,
which attracts other forms of crime and street delinquency to the
neighborhood.
But the message should be: "WE CARE!" And to show that
we care we will have a "Paint-Out" on Saturday, April
20 on Singleton Road. More than 200 volunteers are scheduled to
help. We will make a difference in the lives of the families that
reside in that area.
To report graffiti or learn more about preventing graffiti in your
neighborhood, contact Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful at 770-822-5187
or gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org.
Click
here to read other community commentaries...
|
Number
2.03, April 19, 2002
