Prevent and remove graffiti

How to secure your property to prevent it being vandalised, and ways to remove graffiti.

Take steps to reduce opportunities for offenders to access and damage your property.

Key crime prevention tips

To protect your property from graffiti:

  • reduce access to large surfaces
  • secure the property
  • remove the graffiti as soon as possible.

Graffiti prevention information

Follow these crime prevention tips to prevent and report graffiti.

Reduce access to large surfaces

Make it hard for vandals to access your property.

  • Paint walls, garage doors or other large surfaces with an easy clean coating.
  • Cover walls with textured or rough surfaces, for example stucco.
  • Install fences or plant vegetation to make large surfaces difficult to access.
  • Paint a mural on large walls. Murals can deter tagging.

Secure the property

Secure your property to deter vandals.

  • Install cameras and sensor lighting, including on lane way access.

Remove the graffiti as soon as possible

Quickly remove graffiti to avoid drawing unwanted attention to your property.

  • Use a citrus oil-based product.
  • When repainting, aim for the closest match possible to the original.
  • Contact your local council as they may be able to assist in graffiti removal.

Other things you can do

Get to know the people in your neighbourood who can support you.

What to do if your property has been vandalised

If your property has been vandalised:

  • do not confront the vandal, your safety is the most important thing
  • take a photo of the graffiti to use when reporting.

Report graffiti

For emergencies, to report a crime in progress, or for immediate police attendance, call Triple Zero (000).

For non-emergencies, call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or report online at Police Assistance Line and Online Reporting.

Make sure you tell police what the graffiti says.

You can also report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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