Graffiti in Portland, Oregon
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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]
Removal efforts
The graffiti increase during the pandemic prompted city council to strengthen removal efforts.[8][9]
In 2021, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) hired an outside contractor to remove graffiti along three highways.[10][11] As of 2022, ODOT set aside $2 million was set aside for graffiti and litter clean up.[12][13] In late 2022, the city deployed "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]
