"Graffiti is not art:" A unique initiative with positive twist to fight tagging in Milwaukee



MILWAUKEE -- City leaders on Thursday, May 26th announced a new initiative to clean up graffiti in Milwaukee.

It is an ongoing problem, but officials say it's actually getting a bit better, and they want to keep that momentum going.

There is a positive twist with this new plan to fight tagging.

Student artists are being asked to help paint optimistic or positive messages on some of Milwaukee's vacant buildings. Some of the phases include "leadership," "higher education" and "serving others."

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is also asking residents to remain vigilant and call police when they see graffiti taggers in action.

"Graffiti is not art. Graffiti is a crime -- and it's a crime that hurts neighborhoods, and it is a crime that makes it more difficult for individuals to operate more freely in neighborhoods because there can be an intimidation factor with graffiti," Barrett said.

If you see graffiti in your neighborhood, there is a 24-hour hotline you can call to get it cleaned up as quickly as possible: 414-286-8715.

CLICK HERE to learn more.