This article is a follow-up to "Graffiti artists vs. property owners." Please see "Graffiti artists vs. property owners" by clicking on the green Storyline tab to the right.

If you are a property owner in Sacramento, you can expect to be cleaning graffiti off your building at some point or another depending on where your property is situated. "Midtown typically has the highest incidence of graffiti," states Code Enforcement Officer Noel Eusebio. Midtown, along with neighboring areas, sees more graffiti simply because it's packed with people and buildings. Seems obvious, right? "Vandals looking for notoriety look for population and structurally dense environments," continues Eusebio. Since there will always be those in search for fame, what can property owners do to avoid being used as a vehicle for such 'stardom'?

Eusebio gives these helpful tips: If you are a property owner, re-assess your property. Ask yourself, "Why am I getting victimized?" In addition to removing the graffiti as soon as possible and making a police report (which you can do online), there are several simple things you can change to make your property less enticing, or even inviolable, to vandals. Make sure that your property is well-lit, and add barriers like fences to prevent easy-access to your property. Use color-matched paint to cover graffiti so that there are no signs of previous tags. When it comes to landscaping, creative solutions like vine-covered walls can act as a deterrent.

Is graffiti more a tenant of pop culture or gang culture?
A common question on the subject of graffiti is, "Are there any legal walls in Sacramento?" It's a good question because in cities like Portland, Oregon, these walls (commissioned by the city) give graffiti artists a legal outlet. In Sacramento, however, there are no legal walls due to it's "zero-tolerance" code. Eusebio points out that, although there are no legal walls, many art galleries or business owners commission outside murals, providing an excellent way for artists to be paid for their talent.

If legal walls and commissioned murals could be proven to lessen the amount of vandal-like graffiti, what conclusions might be drawn? How often is graffiti gang-related? Is there evidence that graffiti has a causal relationship with crime? Share your viewpoint by commenting below.