Photo by Victoria Andrews

Volunteers met throughout Kent on Saturday, March 19, 2011 to rid the city of unwanted graffiti. Seventy volunteers showed up for the event to remove graffiti from 40 different locations throughout Kent. The event was a huge success. The City of Kent would like to give a special thanks to the downtown Starbucks who donated cocoa, coffee, and pastry goodies for all the volunteers.

Supplies were provided by a grant from The Home Depot Foundation and the six 5-gallon buckets of paint used were donated by Ski’s Painting Inc. Volunteers included  people around the Kent area, several Rotary Club members and students from Kent high schools.

For more information, visit the City of Kent’s Graffiti website.

Are you tired of seeing graffiti and tags around the City of Kent? If so, you can help.

Join us for Community Graffiti Clean-Up Day on Saturday, September 18 from 8 am to 12 pm. Volunteers are needed in teams of 6 to 10 to help rid our city of this blight. Meet at 8 a.m. at Town Square Plaza (corner of 2nd and Smith St. – across from the Kent Library) to pick up your assignment, paint and supplies.

This is an ideal project for Key clubs, teens needing service hours, neighborhood councils, and individuals and companies who want to make a difference in Kent.

To sign up, contact Sara Wood with the City of Kent.

The Kent Police Department is taking steps to fight graffiti in and around Kent. Starting with a website named www.KentGraffiti.com, the Kent PD is educating business owners and citizens on how and when to remove graffiti. The city’s program includes an Adopt A Spot program that residents, businesses and organizations can commit to keeping graffiti clean, as well as a graffiti cleaning kits and community-wide graffiti clean-up events.

For more information, contact Sara Wood at the Kent PD, visit the KentGraffiti.com site online or phone 253-856-GRAF.

From the Kent PD website:

Graffiti Vandalism

Graffiti vandalism is a crime. It is categorized under malicious mischief. The punishment is dependent upon the dollar amount in damage that is done.

• Under $50 – Maximum 90 days in jail and/or $1,000 fine.
• Over $50 – Maximum one year in jail and/or $5,000 fine.

Do you suspect someone is tagging graffiti?  Most of the time, there are “signs”. Youth experiment by “tagging” personal items such as backpacks, notebooks, even bedroom walls. If you see “tagging” on someone’s personal belongings, chances are, the tagging is landing on other property too.

Thanks to Victoria Andrews with the City of Kent for this news:

Kent’s service clubs will celebrate Spring with the first annual Service Club Community Pride Day on Saturday, March 21, 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The graffiti paint-out event is being co-sponsored by Kent Police and Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services. The goal is to eliminate graffiti, reduce vandalism and keep Kent clean, beautiful and safe for children, families, seniors and visitors.

Teams of four or five will be coming from local Kent Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, Soroptomist, and Quota Clubs. Volunteers will meet at 8:00 a.m. at Town Square Plaza, located at Second Avenue and Harrison Street in downtown Kent. Refreshments will be provided by the 4th & Meeker Starbucks. After receiving instructions and supplies, the teams will fan out in their vehicles to assigned “hot spot” areas. At the end of the morning, the groups will return to Town Square Plaza for lunch, courtesy of Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Service club members and their families (including children 16 or older) are welcome to register as part of a team or as individuals. Please pre-register by March 13th. Teams will be finalized and assigned to their locations on the morning of the event. Supplies and paint are paid for by a graffiti abatement grant from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). To register for this event, visit www.kentgraffiti.com or contact 253-856-5851.