Report graffiti - call the graffiti hotline

April 18, 2008

(Red Deer, Alberta) – A new reporting hotline is up and running today as part of an effort to reduce graffiti in Red Deer.

“Graffiti is a crime,” said Fernando Paganelli, City of Red Deer Compliance Officer. “We need people to recognize it, report it and remove it.”

The graffiti reporting hotline comes after City Council put their stamp of approval on an amended Community Standards Bylaw that includes significantly increased fines for applying graffiti, and requires property owners to remove graffiti when it is applied.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to report graffiti and help us reduce the incidence of graffiti in Red Deer,” said Paganelli.

Last summer, The City, Red Deer RCMP and the Red Deer Downtown Business Association (DBA) met to discuss Red Deer’s growing graffiti problem. The group recommended bylaw amendments and a reporting hotline as part of a zero tolerance approach to graffiti.

“We are already working with local bylaw enforcement and key stakeholders to implement processes and initiatives that will work in our community,” said Paganelli. “The graffiti reporting hotline is just one mechanism that will help us reach this goal.”

The City and its partners will continue to work with stakeholders and organizations impacted by graffiti. “Reducing the amount of graffiti in Red Deer will mean a cleaner, safer community for everyone,” said Paganelli.

For more information about graffiti and the Community Standards Bylaw visit www.reddeer.ca. To report graffiti call the graffiti hotline at 403-356-8908.

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For more information, please contact:

Fernando Paganelli
Compliance Officer
The City of Red Deer
403-309-8550