Graffiti incidences have slightly decreased in Savannah as code enforcement, arrests have increased

In June, the City of Savannah launched a new initiative that wraps corner traffic cabinets with graffiti-resistant laminates featuring archival photos showcasing the historical significance of nearby structures.

The initiative focused on traffic cabinets that have been regular targets for graffiti, according to a city press release sent on June 10 of this year.

Thus far, 22 locations have been wrapped, the city's Senior Director for Transportation Stephen Henry confirmed in a phone interview.

“It’s a maintenance issue,” said Henry. “You’re constantly cleaning cabinets or getting calls for graffiti, and breaking a traffic signal technician when they might be working on a traffic signal, or streetlight. It’s not time well spent for our technicians.”

The City of Savannah passed an anti-graffiti ordinance in 2019, as part of the Clean Community Initiative , which was adopted the year prior.

There has been a slight decrease in graffiti cases that have violated the city’s anti-graffiti ordinance, according to code compliance data sent via email by City of Savannah Press Secretary Josh Peacock. Thus far in 2024, there have been 37 code-related graffiti cases. In 2023, there were 80, and in 2022, there were 86 code-related graffiti cases.

“Graffiti has been spotlighted now,” Cynthia Knight, City of Savannah Senior Director of Code Compliance, said in a phone interview. “It’s actually standing out more, and that could be because of social media.”

Knight referenced “Hellboy.” On June 6, 2023, SPD made a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) about “an individual suspected of illegal graffiti. SPD posted a security video where “the subject can be seen on June 6 illegally defacing a building.”

“That particular media piece caused a lot of people to really start paying attention to what we have around the city, what's going on here,” said Knight. “I'm not sure if he was charged. I know that we put a lot of time into investigating it and working with the property owner who was the victim of that particular crime.”

“It’s not a victimless crime,” added Knight. “They may feel they’re expressing their artistic skills, but they’re actually damaging property.”

What is graffiti, exactly?

By definition, graffiti comprises writing or drawings scribbled, sprayed and, in rarer cases, scratched onto walls, objects, underpasses, railroad cards in public-facing places without permission. "Tagging" is a form of graffiti where the surface is marked by a name ― sometimes to define a territory ― and sometimes to define a particular graffiti artist. Graffiti artist Ruth Aquilani offered a discussion of the differences among graffiti, street art and murals/public art on the website Medium , and emphasized that while each is a form of self-expression and engagement, the intent behind the markings is what determines whether it is a form of vandalism.

Can someone be arrested for graffiti?

Although there have been fewer reported graffiti incidents in 2024 than the prior two years, the Savannah Police Department (SPD) has made more arrests, according to an open records request obtained from SPD.

As of June 18, there have been 17 reported graffiti-related incidents resulting in four arrests. By year's end, that number is likely to surpass 2022's 18 reported incidents. In the whole of 2023, there were 47 reported incidents with no arrests.

The incident reports reveal details about the circumstances surrounding the arrests, including one involving a protestor for allegedly spray-painting a coffee shop. The increase in arrests comes as the city works to address tagging and marking public spaces through ordinances and initiatives, as described above.

On Jan. 11, two men were arrested for loitering and prowling after allegedly spray-painting a building near 520 Turner Blvd. According to Chatham County Recorder’s Court records, Chatham County prosecutors did not prosecute the men for either charge.

One week later, on Jan. 18, a police officer was patrolling a protest of Cop City, the nickname for a $90 million, 85-acre Public Safety Training Center in Atlanta used for training for law enforcement officers . The protest came one year after the killing of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán by Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers, and the group of protestors in Savannah called themselves Tortuguita Vive, which was Teran’s nickname. During the protest, the police officer noted in the incident report that he noticed fresh paint covering the door of 319 W. Congress St., Bitty and Beau’s Coffee, which read “"Murder," "Stop Cop City," "F*** You," and "RIP Pig." There was also paint splatter and painted hand prints, and two bags of dry concrete in front of the business, according to the incident report.

As the protestors began walking east and then south, the police officers decided to stop the two different groups. One police officer noticed a blue scarf on one of the women that seemed to have paint on it. While police checked her bag, they found three cans of spray paint in shades that matched the paint on the coffee shop's door.

A little more than one week later, on Jan. 26, two young women were charged with interference with government property. One of them was also charged with possession of marijuana, less than an ounce. They were spray-painting the pylons on the overpass, according to the incident report. Though they denied spray-painting, two cans of spray paint and a marijuana joint were found in one of their backpacks, according to the incident report.

In February, both women pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Both were sentenced to 12 months on probation and fined $500. Chatham County prosecutors chose not to prosecute the interference with government property charges.

On May 15, a man was charged with criminal trespassing for spray-painting a dumpster near the intersection of West Broughton Lane and Whitaker Street. The responding police officer noted in the incident report that he found a can of white spray paint and a bottle of orange paint, and added that the damage was less than $500.

That case has not been indicted, according to Chatham County Recorder’s Court records. A misdemeanor docket was scheduled for July 10.

Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Graffiti incidences have slightly decreased in Savannah as code enforcement, arrests have increased