Seattle relaunches graffiti cleanup effort

Mayor Bruce Harrell is relaunching a graffiti cleanup program, this time targeted at downtown Seattle and the Chinatown-International District.

“We know that graffiti and tagging not only detract from the vibrancy of our neighborhoods, but also have tangible impacts on our small businesses whose storefronts are defaced and on marginalized communities who are targeted by hate speech,” Mayor Harrell said in a statement.

“We must combat a surge in graffiti with a One Seattle approach, building partnerships with the community to find thoughtful, sustainable solutions that improve the quality of life for everyone in our city.

The relaunched Graffiti Abatement Program will enhance our efforts to beautify our city while also developing our workforce, giving more people critical job training so they can access new employment opportunities and build better lives.”

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The city is contracting with Uplift Northwest for this next chapter of its Graffiti Abatement Program. The organization offers job training and other services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Uplift Northwest will provide three work crews to handle graffiti removal.

The city's first version of the Graffiti Abatement Program was actually a class project by students at City University of Seattle. It became a pilot program in 2022, and was focused on Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. Uplift Northwest also assisted with that effort, using it as an opportunity to train around graffiti removal and safety.

The city reports that graffiti in Seattle has increased by 50% since 2019, and that over the past 12 months, 100% of reported graffiti in Seattle has been cleaned up in 10 business days; over 98% was taken down within two days.

In October 2022, the city announced a broad anti-graffiti plan that included cleanup programs like this one. It also included graffiti cleanup kits for city residents to use. The mayor proposed to back the effort with $940,000.

At the time, City Attorney Ann Davison said that she would be "focused on enforcement strategies to arrest and prosecute the most prolific and destructive graffiti taggers. In order to see a meaningful change on our streets, the city must send a firm message that it will not tolerate continued destruction and defacement of our neighborhoods.”

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