Totally Against Graffiti

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WHEREAS, since September 2009, Totally Against Graffiti and Graffiti Busters have removed over 135 tags and graffiti marks from the neighborhood of Carrick; and

WHEREAS, Totally Against Graffiti (TAG), led by Missy Rosenfeld and Carrick volunteer residents, has worked tirelessly to identify, report, and paint over more than 75 tags in Carrick, with special assistance from John Rudiak who has diligently identified, labeled and photographed tags and graffiti in Carrick and forwarded the information to TAG, Graffiti Busters, and the Pittsburgh Police Graffiti Task Force, and TAG has sought to collaborate with neighborhood and city partners to expand their ability to remove tags and graffiti in Carrick; and

WHEREAS, Graffiti Busters led by Patty Chavez in the Department of Public Works Traffic Sign Division and her entire crew of Graffiti Busters, who also work with the Clean Pittsburgh Commission, has diligently and energetically supported tag and graffiti removal efforts throughout Carrick and the City of Pittsburgh; and

WHEREAS, the Graffiti Task Force of the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety, comprised of Police Detectives Daniel Sullivan, Alphonso Sloan, and Frank Rende, works tirelessly using their law enforcement and fine arts training and expertise to track, identify and prosecute taggers and graffiti vandals throughout Carrick and the City of Pittsburgh, and reached out to educate the Carrick residential and business community about tagging and graffiti and the proper protocol to report these crimes; and

WHEREAS, TAG, Graffiti Busters and the Graffiti Task Force have also forged a partnership with the United States Postal Service and Pittsburgh Postmaster Rocco D’Angelo to increase reporting of tagged and graffiti-ed mail boxes to the USPS union workers contracted to remove graffiti, and seeks to identify innovative ways to remove more tags and graffiti with greater speed from mail boxes starting in Carrick and expanding to other all neighborhoods throughout the City of Pittsburgh building on good practices identified from other municipalities, under the slogan “One Box At A Time, and One Neighborhood At A Time;” and

WHEREAS, Ms. Rosenfeld has also taken initiative to write a winning grant proposal to fund a program for the Carrick community called ArtEscape, which creates an opportunity for local artists from all over the City of Pittsburgh to volunteer their time to display their artwork in empty Carrick storefronts to relieve blight, increase the aesthetic value of the neighborhood and hopefully attract new businesses as part of efforts to revitalize the Carrick business district; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize and commend TAG, Graffiti Busters, the Graffiti Task Force, the United States Postal Service and their many volunteers, collaborators and partners for their contributions to the neighborhood of Carrick and the City of Pittsburgh.

Sponsored by Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak

Co-Sponsored by Council President Darlene M. Harris and Councilmembers Rev. Ricky V. Burgess, Patrick Dowd, Bruce A. Kraus, R. Daniel Lavelle, William Peduto, Douglas Shields and Theresa Kail-Smith