DETROIT – The city is calling graffiti a scar on the city that needs to be wiped clean. The suburban scribblers slink into Detroit and leave their garbage markings everywhere, on everything.
Instead of going after the taggers, the businesses are getting caught in the crosshairs. Mayor Mike Duggan is getting tough on graffiti by first ticketing business owners who are getting tagged.
Belda Garza said she can't keep up with the taggers that hit her building. Now she's asking why she should get a ticket when the police should catch the taggers.
"We need some enforcement so it doesn't happen," Garza said.
Only Local 4 was there Wednesday night as city officials took questions from concerned business owners about the city's soon-to-be announced "clean and surveil" anti-graffiti program.
The city is already ticketing property owners for having graffiti on their buildings. If they choose the "clean and surveil" program the owner can agree to place cameras and lights towards the problem area. The city will then clean the graffiti and try to catch the culprits.
If no action is taken, the property owner is hit with a $130 fine.
"We met with them and said, 'Whoa, don't ticket our guys" said Theresa Zajac, with Southwest Detroit Business Association.
In West Vernor and Springwells there are few tags and lots of murals. The businesses there pool their money to clean up the graffiti themselves and want to make sure the city doesn't go after murals.
"We agreed to take photographs of all the murals so we can provide it to the city so they have something that says, 'No, no, no, it's a mural, it's fine and it stays,'" Zajac said.