Despite the ongoing collaboration between the Columbus Division of Police and campus area organizations, graffiti vandalism is still a serious problem on Ohio State’s campus.

University Area Commission President Ian MacConnell said the UAC sent a letter of concern to the Columbus Department of Transportation and COTA asking for their cooperation in cleaning up graffiti on campus. The letter detailed specific areas targeted by vandalism, including COTA bus stops, trash cans and street signs.“Graffiti contributes to a wide range of problems,” MacConnell said. “Including reduced business patronage, decline in property values and citizen uneasiness.”

The letter also stressed the importance of removing graffiti as quickly as possible in order to send a clear message to the vandals.

According to crime reports filed with Columbus police, there have been nine reported instances of graffiti vandalism in January. Seven out of the nine instances occurred around the campus area.

“The problem is most people don’t report (graffiti) when it happens,” MacConnell said. “It’s important to not only file a police report, but to take a picture of it.”Each graffiti artist has their own logo, or “tag,” said MacConnell, which can help identify repeat offenders. The UAC has compiled a series of photographs detailing which tags occur most frequently and where they appear the most.

The commission has also been working with local law enforcement to brainstorm techniques to aid in catching the vandals.

Officer Larry Geis of the Columbus police said it is difficult to catch graffiti artists in the act.

“It’s really just a matter of being in the right place at the right time,” Geis said. “We’re putting more guys out there in plain clothes to try and catch the vandals off guard.”

Property owner and commission member Richard Talbott identified a different concern among graffiti issues.

Talbott said the lack of communication between business owners and their landlords often leaves graffiti uncleaned. Landlords tell the business owners that the graffiti is their responsibility, when it is actually the responsibility of the landlord, he said.

“A bakery owner isn’t a painter, so he’s not going to cover up the graffiti,” Talbott said. “It doesn’t affect the bread he makes.”

The University Area Enrichment Association is another campus-area organization involved with the graffiti dilemma. The UAEA has teamed up with the Undergraduate Student Government in the past to help clean up graffiti on numerous sites, UAEA spokeswoman Catherine Girves said.

MacConnell has worked directly with Girves and the UAEA in multiple clean-up efforts throughout the past three years.

“It’s not only important that we clean up the graffiti,” MacConnell said, “but we need to come together as a community and say ‘Hey, this will not be tolerated.'”

John Cropper can be reached for comment at [email protected].