Crews making headway fighting graffiti in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's one of the top complaints of residents in Philadelphia: graffiti.

The city office that focuses on removing graffiti says they're making progress. Calls for the issue have been cut nearly in half.

"These guys do a great job. They're very proactive," said Carlton Williams, director of the Office of Clean & Green Initiatives.

The three to five-person crews that work to remove graffiti operate under the Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP).

"It's over 130 people in the CLIP program altogether," said Williams.

On Thursday, Action News watched as a four-person crew removed graffiti along an interstate wall in Port Richmond.

"When you talk about people who want to move into Philadelphia, there are two things people care about the most: is it safe and is it clean?" said Williams.

CLIP has been around for decades, but it got a push when Mayor Cherelle Parker put it under her Clean & Green Initiative. The Office of Clean & Green also handles nuisance issues like vacant lots and property management.

"Each year, they remove over 180,000 locations full of graffiti," said Williams.

Residents can report graffiti through the city's 311 system. Our 6abc data team found that, so far this year, there have been 5,486 reports about the issue. Of those, 97% have been closed.

"When they see that tag, our goal is to remove it within 24-48 hours upon notification," said Williams.

The initiative also works with police to focus on enforcement.

"If we catch people (doing graffiti), they will be held accountable," said Williams.

He said that the Office of Clean and Green went from getting an average of 1,500 graffiti complaints per month last year to about 800 a month this year.

"People are complaining less, which means they're seeing less graffiti," said Williams.

The graffiti-removing efforts cover everything from neighborhoods to highways.

"When people go out and ride through Philadelphia, that's the first impression they get," said Williams.

The goal is to remove graffiti and give every community a clean slate.

"Ultimately, it just makes people feel good about where they live and where they want to stay," said Williams.

To report graffiti removal in your neighborhood, call 311.