Graffiti is a cause of disagreement among residents of Portland, Oregon. [1] Residents can report graffiti and request removal. [2] In 2023, a poll conducted by The Oregonian showed 61 percent of Portland voters considered graffiti a "big" problem. [3]
Portland saw a marked rise in graffiti during the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] [5] The city has also seen "tagger tourism", or people visiting for the purpose of spray painting illegally. [6] According to KPTV, "Portland's location on the I-5 corridor means that transient taggers often stop off to leave their mark. It’s an underground culture of dedicated wall writers leaving their mark on a city, that’s eager to buff it out." [7]
The graffiti increase during the pandemic prompted city council to strengthen removal efforts. [8] [9]
In 2021, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) hired River City Environmental to remove graffiti along three highways. [10] [11] As of 2022, the local company Portland Graffiti Removal removed graffiti for ODOT. [12] [13] In late 2022, the city hired Graffiti Removal Services to create "preventative graffiti". [2]
ODOT's $2 million in funding ran out in 2023. [14] [15] In 2024, the Oregon legislature allocated $4 million for ODOT for addressing graffiti. [16] [17] Synthetic ivy has been used on walls in an attempt to deter graffiti. [18]
The city requires building owners to remove graffiti within 10 days or risk a fine. [19] In practice, the code is not being enforced against property owners. [20] In 2024, commissioner Rene Gonzalez proposed "meaningful" penalties for graffiti vandals. [21] His proposal did not receive a vote before he left office. [22]
Police have also arrested major offenders. [23] [24] In 2024, police raided the house of a suspected graffiti vandal who was featured on a YouTube series. [25] [26] The same man was later arrested. [27] Another man received a 2.5 year prison sentence. [25]
Media related to Graffiti in Portland, Oregon at Wikimedia Commons