Graffiti Up In GR; Company Offers Clean Solutions

Lindsay Kus Anchor/Reporter

6:12 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich

From the eye-catchingimage of President Gerald R. Ford on snow skis spray-painted off I-196, to the gang messages popping up on homes and businesses, neighbors in Grand Rapids are seeing more graffiti.

"I have seen an increase, even just driving around. No matter what it is, it is all considered vandalism," said Captain Daniel Savage with the Grand Rapids Police Department. Most of the tagging is popping up on business storefronts.

"It is very frustrating," explained Synia Jordan, owner of Samaria J's Salon located at 701 Grandville Ave SW. Her salon has been tagged twice this year. On Wednesday, young employees spent the afternoon power washing the siding where dark spray paint coated the white.

"We paint, they come back. It is not so much the cost, but the time spent cleaning. The West Grand Neighborhood Organization is one group trying to get the word out about cleaning up the vandalism.

"Something needs to be done, it is very frustrating.Businesseswant to be here because of all the graffiti," said Nola Stetekee, Director of TheWest Grand Neighborhood Organization, is backing a product made by Omega Environmental Services that specializes in graffiti removal with a spray product and deterrent.

"What it is is a combination of chemicals that are water-based and that react to heat and pressure to remove the product from the wall," said Timmy Sanders with Omega Environmental Services.

He says their product not only takes off the graffiti, but doesn't damage the brick or other surfaces by leaving behind marks.

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Graffiti Up In GR; Company Offers Clean Solutions