Risk versus Reward
Although graffiti presents significant risks to those that engage in the practice of it, in the eyes of the writers there is a reward that justifies the risk (Weisel, 2011). Regardless of the background of the writer there is a clear element of gratification received through tagging that is perceived as being worth the potential risks. Graffiti is one of the few crimes that are committed not for monetary profit, or out of rage or hate, but out of the sheer gratification of tagging. The rewards that graffiti delivers are different depending on the category of tagger, but for the most part graffiti provides feelings of increased self-worth from being recognized in the community as well as from gaining accolades from the graffiti subculture (Weisel, 2011). Although it appears that deterring graffiti and discouraging taggers is an arduous task, understanding graffiti in terms of risk versus reward provides insight to the motivational factors that can support graffiti prevention. The negotiation of risk versus reward is what graffiti taggers consciously or subconsciously assess in their decision making process regarding if, when and where to tag. Assessing risk versus reward, taggers continually search for locations that will get them maximum reward of visibility with the least likelihood of being caught (Weisel, 2011). Locations such as trains, major transportation routes, and elevated locations such as rooftops and water towers usually provide a great deal of exposure with minimal chance of being noticed, making for ideal graffiti locations (Weisel, 2011). From the perspective of prevention, by reducing, minimizing or eliminating the reward factor that the writer experiences, locations become less enticing to graffiti writers. Likewise, increasing the risk factor associated with a property, location or community, the enticing factors for tagging diminishes substantially (Weisel, 2011). Although taking risks is often part of the allure for graffiti vandals, these risks are calculated in relation to the situational potential rewards that are offered. By either reducing the situational reward or increasing the situational risk to the tagger, the likelihood of graffiti activity declines substantially (Freilich, D. & Newman, G., 2017). The manipulation of this risk/reward ratio can come about as a result of changing factors in the environment or changing the mindset of graffiti writers. In the case of manipulation of the environment there are a number of ways to approach this.
17.2 Elevating Risk and Reducing Rewards
In altering the environmental conditions to deter illegal graffiti there are a number of strategies that cities and communities can employ to elevate the level of risk for taggers. Cities like Burnaby, BC. promote deterrence through environmental design, employing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles (Weisel, 2011). Through building design, foliage placement, and specialized lighting, environments are able to achieve increased visibility and exposure to elevate the risk levels for potential vandals. Making areas with likelihood of criminal activity highly visible or elevating the amount of foot or vehicle traffic greatly increases the chances of being noticed and caught. The use of technology is another proven method of deterrence, with motion, infrared, and thermal cameras available that substantially elevate the risk to the perpetrator (Weisel, 2011). One of the most recent and successful methods is the use of specialized anti-graffiti high frequency lighting systems. This system, although silent and non-invasive to the community, emits high frequency lighting flash patterns that are visually distracting to potential vandals or trespassers while attracting attention to the location and elevating risk. In the case of this specialized lighting, the risk is greatly elevated while the reward of being able to paint is substantially reduced.
The City of Burnaby has embraced this risk versus reward principal by creating an anti-graffiti initiative that has been successful in reducing and eliminating graffiti from some of the most vandalized areas of the city (City of Burnaby, 2007). Burnaby has implemented a policy of mandatory and immediate removal of all graffiti on public and private property through a municipal bylaw that specifically address graffiti. Utilizing this strategy, property owners must remove graffiti promptly, resulting in minimal gratification and reward for the graffiti vandal (Weisel, 2011). In this scenario the risk has remained the same, while the reward for spending the night out tagging has been all but eliminated, deterring the tagger from returning to this area and possibly evaluating the value of creating graffiti.