The aim of the initiative was to get an objective measure of the scale of graffiti on main routes into and out of Reading, ‘gateways’, following concerns raised by leading councillors. Streetcare Liaison Officers travelled the routes (in pairs) and made a note of the degree and locations of graffiti found there.
In-house services removed the identified graffiti from public surfaces. Since the audit was conducted and the internal debate that ensued, further audits have been carried out and further extensive graffiti removal undertaken, including on private surfaces, e.g. utility boxes and private walls. Resources involved in the initial project included four staff days conducting the audit and four staff days spent removing graffiti.