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Mayor Bowser’s ‘Great Graffiti Wipeout’ Cleans Up 902 Graffiti Markings and Removes 3,021 Posters and Stickers Throughout District

Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Residents, Business Owners Encouraged to Continue to Call 311 to Report Graffiti Vandalism

Washington, DC – Eight weeks after the kicking-off an intense focus on beautifying the District on May 24, 2018, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has completed Mayor Bowser’s third annual “Great Graffiti Wipeout.” Working throughout all eight District wards, DPW crews cleaned more than 900 graffiti markings and removed upwards of 3,000 posters and stickers from public spaces.

“Graffiti vandalism is a drain on taxpayer dollars, can lead to decreased property values, and often diminishes residents’ sense of safety,” said DPW Director Chris Shorter. “Through Mayor Bowser’s 2018 ‘Great Graffiti Wipeout,’ our crews systematically worked their way through the city, aggressively eradicating graffiti and removing old posters and stickers in all corners of the District.”

Ward breakdown of Mayor Bowser’s 2018 Great Graffiti Wipeout:

Ward Instances of Graffiti Cleaned # of Posters / Stickers Removed
1 211 292
2 138 137
3 85 79
4 176 636
5 72 500
6 94 195
7 67 525
8 59 657

This year’s Great Graffiti Wipeout began in Ward 1, and then made its way through all eight wards before wrapping up on July 20, 2018. The graffiti removal blitz is in addition to the more than 5,550 311 requests DPW responds to each year to remove graffiti and posters.

DPW cleans graffiti from public and private property using paint or non-toxic solutions that are applied and then removed with a high-pressure water spray, known as a power wash.

Residents should continue to call 311 to request the removal of graffiti or posters and stickers. A waiver of liability form will be provided, which must be signed by the property owner and returned to DPW before abatement will occur on private property.

DPW provides essential city services in two distinct program areas: environmental services/solid waste management and parking enforcement. Both contribute to making District streets and public spaces clean, safe, attractive and accessible for all residents, businesses, commuters and visitors.