San Francisco Deals With Rise In Graffiti & Tagging On Private Properties
If you’ve observed an increase in graffiti and tagging around San Francisco recently, your observation is accurate. The situation has worsened. Graffiti is against the law, and for a city striving to enhance its reputation, addressing this issue will require more than just police enforcement.
Suaro Cervantes, a muralist in the Mission District, had his work tagged a few times while he was preparing it. When asked if he knew who was responsible for the tagging, he confirmed that he did but never reported it to the police.
However, reporting it wasn’t necessary because once it became known that Cervantes was the artist behind the mural, it was respected as off-limits to any tagger.
Carlos “Cookie” Gonzalez, another muralist and a former probation officer, expressed, “The individuals who engage in senseless scribbling and tagging are the ones causing the problem.”
Some refer to it as “infringing to impress,” a behavior where individuals deface property to gain recognition.
“There’s a bunch of knuckleheads who just don’t care, whatever,” he added.
Often, it’s a name or a symbol known only to the culprits themselves. While it may appear as an eyesore to others, those responsible believe that if enough people notice their tag, they’ve achieved a form of notoriety or fame.
“Especially after COVID, I think there’s kind of like a lack, a loss of respect,” said Cervantes.
How did this situation deteriorate to such an extent? During COVID, the Board of Supervisors halted graffiti removal enforcement.
“So when we had more than a year without enforcement, without that stick to go along with the carrot, some people just let it sit on their buildings, and then you’re right, more tags will come, one after another,” explained Rachel Gordon, spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Public Works.
