Guardian Graffiti Solutions

As cities strive to build safe, livable and inclusive neighborhoods, the topic of graffiti frequently comes up with frustration in lack of solutions available. Although challenging, through extensive research, 2 things became obvious: 1) Graffiti has a much deeper impact on society than most people realize (see impact of graffiti). 2) Graffiti is preventable.

Guardian Graffiti provides a full range of graffiti removal services and proven graffiti prevention strategies. 

With over 30 years of experience in the graffiti industry combined with extensive academic (Master’s Level) research we hold an unparalleled grasp of all things related to graffiti including graffiti prevention.

 

Why Prevention?

Did you know that the US spend between $13-15 billion every year on graffiti? The cost of graffiti is enormous, with cities spending millions of dollars every year in removing graffiti. However enormous this seems, his figure does not take into consideration  the social impact of graffiti. 

The presence of graffiti impacts perceptions of safety, levels of engagement, property values, livability of neighborhoods and a host of other elements known as social capital. For this reason, Guardian Graffiti is focused on prevention of graffiti. Subsequently, we have developed a host of strategies that that have achieved great success in preventing graffiti and improving community safety while saving communities resources, time, and financial burden.

More About Guardian Graffiti Solutions (see below)
Todd Polich

As the Founder of Guardian Graffiti Solutions, Todd Polich has both a practical and academic understanding of graffiti. Regarded as an expert in the field of graffiti, he has organized and lectured at several events on the topic of graffiti, graffiti prevention and public arts. On completion of his master’s degree thesis on The Impact of Aesthetics on Urban Society, he has a deep understanding of graffiti, the graffiti subculture, and the impact of graffiti on society from an academic and applied perspective.

Todd has developed several graffiti prevention strategies, including the use of technology and the Clean Sweep graffiti removal program, that have been instrumental in the monumental decreases in graffiti in the communities he works with. 

As head of the Anti-Graffiti department with the City of Burnaby, under his leadership the city has reduced it’s graffiti count 90% with a massive reduction in new graffiti.  As a result of his prevention strategies, since taking on the role of Anti-Graffiti Coordinator in 2007, the amount of active prolific vandals in Burnaby has decreased from 15 to 2.

Aside from being an authority on graffiti and graffiti prevention, Todd Polich is an accomplished mural artist. Organizing and painting over 50 large scale murals with over 6000 students, at risk youth and community members, the use of public arts to beautify urban spaces continues to be something that drives and inspires him.

Todd Polich is vigorously passionate about community wellbeing and building connected neighbourhoods through crime prevention, beautification and public arts.

 

Academic Research

 

Guardian Graffiti are experts in graffiti from an academic and industry perspective. Coupled with years of experience in street graffiti, we have conducted masters level academic research to determine:

A) Why people do graffiti
B) Social conditions that promote the act of graffiti
C) Physical dynamics of cities and communities that invite graffiti
D) How to adjust social and environmental dynamics to deter and prevent graffiti.

Through this research, we have determined that In contrary to popular opinion, graffiti is preventable. In fact, through development and implementation of graffiti management strategies graffiti can be eliminated from most communities in a relatively short period of time.

 

Services

We offer the most robust graffiti removal service available. Through our Clean Sweep program, we remove mass amounts of graffiti with unparalleled efficiency. This coupled with the use of our cutting-edge software (TagTracker) our teams implement graffiti deterrent strategies to prevent the return of graffiti.

(To See more, go to Services Page)

Technology

We have developed niche technology and processes that take graffiti prevention to the next level.

We use technology in our specialized:
-Removal strategies
-Graffiti tracking apps
-Vandal profiling system
-On-site prevention devices
-Graffiti style comparison
-Data collection and stats generation

See More on our Technology Page

Products

We have developed several innovative products in graffiti prevention including:

A) Online Graffiti Tracking Systems
B) Onsite Graffiti Prevention Devices

Results

Through our work, all of the communities that we are partnered with benefit from substantial reductions in graffiti

The City of Burnaby:

  • 90% reduction of visible graffiti
  • Currently under 40 know graffiti tags
  • Prolific tagger activity has gone from 15 to 2
  • Anticipated to be at 0 visible tags by July city wide

Cambie Village:

  • 95% reduction in visible graffiti
  • 70% reduction in new graffiti
  • Prolific tagger activity reduced from 8 to 1

Point Gray:

  • 100% reduction in visible graffiti
  • 80% reduction of new graffiti
  • Currently no visible tags

Mount Pleasant: