Graffiti costs Americans more than $8 billion per year. It hurts property values, drives away business, and sends the message that nobody cares about the community. Graffiti is everybody's problem.
Now Reporting Graffiti is Just an App Away
Reporting graffiti in San Antonio just got a touch easier. The City’s Graffiti Abatement Program has teamed up with App-Order.com to create “mySanAntonioTX” Smart Phone application that will allow residents with Android phones to send real time graffiti information and photos to the department.
Android users can download the “mySanAntonioTX” application for free from the Android Market. Once installed, users simply open the application and follow the prompts to take a picture of the graffiti and then submit the information. Using a built-in global positioning system the application will attach a location to the picture and send the information to the Graffiti Abatement Program. The electronic submissions will then be routed to the appropriate City staff or outside agency. Residents can also choose to receive updates on the status of their request. “This program will give many residents a new and more efficient way to inform the City about graffiti issues,” said David D. Garza, director, Code Enforcement Services Department. “By making the complaint identification process more convenient, we will be able to rid our neighborhoods of the blight even faster.”
The “mySanAntonioTX” application was created at no cost to the City. App-Order.com develops Smartphone apps with web interfaces for government and private industry customers throughout the United States.
Residents with iPhones are expected to be able to obtain the “mySanAntonioTX” within the next six weeks. For more information on this new program, call Lisa McKenzie, graffiti abatement coordinator, Code Enforcement Services Department at 207-5430.
Graffiti is ugly. It comes in all shapes and colors and can be found on buildings, highways, fences and other surfaces. It’s often done without permission and it’s against the law. Graffiti is an eyesore that decreases property values, is a drain on tax dollars and makes residents feel unsafe.
The City and several other local organizations, through a partnership called the Graffiti Wipeout Program, are doing a number of things to decrease this vandalism, such as painting over and removing graffiti on public property in parks and other areas in designated corridors. Through the "Grow over Graffiti" program, property owners are also encouraged to plant trees or ivy to cover walls and fences with graffiti. But what can you do to get rid of graffiti? Get involved. Report graffiti in progress or graffiti that needs to be painted over. Organize a neighborhood paint out or learn how to create a community mural. Donate paint brushes, rollers or other materials that can remove graffiti. Or learn more about graffiti and the negative effects it can have on your community.
Check out the links on this web site if you want to find out how you can get rid of graffiti. Don’t live with it. Wipe it out!
For more information on Graffiti Wipeout activities or to be added to a mailing list, call Lisa McKenzie at (210) 207-5430.
To report graffiti in Heritage please send an email with a brief description and the location of the graffiti (street corners, house numbers) and we will work to remove these.