Saskatoon business leaders say graffiti and tagging are up 50 per cent in the city since police shut down its full time graffiti investigator in 2015.
"Just simply driving around and walking around your city have you noticed it is dirtier than it was? The answer is yes,” said Randy Pshebylo, Executive Director of the Riversdale Business Improvement District.
Pshebylo presented his graffiti concerns to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Thursday.
Acting Police Chief Mark Chatterbock told the board that the graffiti unit was shut down two years ago due to budgetary reasons.
"On Broadway, we just see a plethora of graffiti everywhere" said DeeAnn Mercier, Executive Director of the Broadway Business Improvement District. "What is happening at night on Broadway?" she said outside the police board meeting Thursday. “And how can they get away with vandalizing right on the street? Like at the sidewalk level even. So it’s just unnerving.”
Both business improvement districts are calling on police to restore the graffiti investigator.
The police board listened to the presentations and will take the issue under consideration.
