Its presence can often spark further crime, harming the local community. Property prices could also fall. To prevent this, visible graffiti should be removed as soon as possible.

GRAFFITI IS A CRIME Any person caught defacing property without the express permission of the owner will be arrested. Once considered a small problem caused by a handful of teenagers, graffiti has erupted into a nationwide epidemic costing billions of dollars each year.

Graffiti is a form of vandalism that damages property, causes public safety issues and can result in liability. It negatively impacts local neighbourhoods by making public spaces appear unsafe. More often than not, graffiti is also used as a means to mark territories.

Owner's consent: It is only illegal to graffiti, paint, write, or otherwise mark property if the property owner did not consent to it. If your defense attorney can demonstrate that the graffiti, painting, writing, etching or like “damage” was done with the permission of the property owner, the charge cannot stand.