Graffiti triggers crime, littering, study shows

Signs of disorder in a neighborhood can lead to other broken social norms

By Jeanna Bryner
Senior Writer, MSNBC

"The mere presence of graffiti doubles the number of people littering and stealing in a neighborhood, new research suggests.

The results, which are detailed in the Nov. 21 issue of the journal Science, support and expand on the so-called broken windows theory, which forms the backbone of many crime prevention programs in major cities such as New York.

The theory suggests that signs of disorder, such as broken windows, graffiti and litter, can open the door to individuals breaking other social norms and rules. In New York's "Quality of Life Campaign," adopted in the mid-1990s, city filth, including graffiti, street litter and signs of vandalism, were removed. And petty crime rates did drop..." FULL STORY

Is you government or law enforcement agency, public works department or citizen's group ready to stop graffiti crime in its tracks? Then we need to speak about Blue Archer's Graffiti Tracking System.

Blue Archer's Graffiti Tracking System (GTS) is a centralized, web-based application that helps multiple users document instances of graffiti vandalism, manage investigations, track graffiti removal requests and compile actionable intelligence - all through the Internet! With GTS, any authorized user with access to the web can open and manage a case. GTS results in more substantial arrests and prosecutions of taggers, larger restitution payments, and identification of gang migration patterns.

Blue Archer originally developed GTS as a custom application for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, but now the software is available to clients throughout the world.