The City of Knoxville has partnered with Keep Knoxville Beautiful to provide free graffiti removal kits to residents and business owners who experience graffiti damage.
“Nobody wants to have to clean up and pay for something that they didn’t do,” said Chad Weth, Public Service Director. “We’re hoping that providing these kits will help reduce the sting of a graffiti offense and at the same time, help beautify our city.”
The City of Knoxville has funded the project, with most expenses being covered through the Public Service Department. Additionally, City Councilman Marshall Stair committed funds from the City Council 202 fund, which is available to each City Council member to invest in school- or non-profit-based community improvements.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful has dedicated staff time to manage graffiti kit requests as part of its graffiti abatement program. KKB will process applications as well as assemble and deliver customized kits. Keep Knoxville Beautiful also has developed a web page for its program and has established “blitz days,” in which volunteers improve affected neighborhoods in large sweeps. The next event will be the East Knoxville Community Cleanup on March 12.
“Quick removal is key when fighting graffiti, and we hope these free kits will make it easier for residents to take care of trouble spots right away,” says Patience Melnik, Executive Director of Keep Knoxville Beautiful.
The kits include chemical graffiti remover, paint trays, rollers, naps, drop cloths, steel wool pads and wire brushes. A graffiti kit intended to address removal from a non-porous surface has an estimated value of $72; kits that will remove graffiti from uncoated, porous surfaces are valued at $116. Each kit will be provided for free once an application process is submitted through Keep Knoxville Beautiful.
There are currently 30 kits funded for the initial graffiti removal kit project and the City intends to continue work with KKB if there proves to be a need for this program.
Last year, the City of Knoxville addressed 82 graffiti cases, most of which were in parks or other public facilities. The Parks and Greenways Patrol Unit of the Knoxville Police Department occasionally corrects graffiti along greenways.
For more information, visit www.keepknoxvillebeautiful.org. Request a kit by emailing info@keepknoxvillebeautiful.org or by calling 865-521-6957.
