Help get rid of graffiti – Easily report graffiti by e-mail so law enforcement can investigate & get it cleaned up.

Graffiti is unsightly.  It also invites crime.  The Polk County Sheriff’s Office encourages residents to report graffiti immediately, and now reporting can be done “on line” through a convenient new e-mail address. 

“We rely on our residents to report crime,” said Sheriff Grady Judd as he announced the PCSO’s new e-mail address specifically designed to receive reports about graffiti locations.  “Residents can still call us at 863.534.6200, but we want them to have as many options to communicate with us as possible.  Now, anyone can report graffiti by simply emailing us at graffiti@polksheriff.org.” 

Residents need only to document the exact location of where the graffiti has been observed, the day it was observed, and (optionally) any specifics about the graffiti, such as colors, symbols, words or names.  The email will automatically be forwarded to deputies who will make sure the unsightly images are painted over. 

Why report graffiti?  Graffiti is done by gang members, as well as by graffiti writers called taggers.  When graffiti is not cleaned up immediately, it can quickly multiply when different gangs cross out rivals and add their own graffiti messages.  Graffiti can be used to:  mark gang territory; promote gangs or gang members; brag about crimes; make threats; show loyalty; or as an anti-authority expression of “art” by non-gang member taggers.  Though “taggers” may not be affiliated with a gang, they can cause extensive damage. 

Graffiti devalues property and can make people feel unsafe, thereby lowering the quality of life in a neighborhood.  In addition to its unsightly appearance, gang graffiti can have very negative results.  Graffiti can provoke rival gang members into a violent confrontation.  The longer graffiti is left up in an area, the greater the risk that more graffiti, violence or related crime may occur. 

In partnership with the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, the Sheriff’s Office maintains a Graffiti Eradication Trailer with cleaning and paint supplies.  Sheriff’s Office members, along with volunteers, inmates, and/or juveniles sentenced to community service, will clean up and paint over the graffiti as soon as it is reported or noticed. 

Quick Link.  A quick link to the graffiti reporting e-mail address can also be found by visiting the front page of www.polksheriff.org.  Look for the link, “Stop The Tagging,” and report graffiti immediately to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. 

“We look forward to the community helping us to keep graffiti under control,” said Sheriff Judd.  “Community partnerships are important—when we all work together to prevent and solve crime, the quality of life in Polk County improves.”