The Graffiti in Asheville is Getting Out of Control

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by Zachary Fligel
on Sunday, July 12, 2009

The graffiti in and around Asheville is getting out of control. This not good, because it could mean a rise in criminal activity. Since Asheville is not that big of a city, this should not be a big problem like it would be in other large cities. It does not seem to be dangerous right now, but that could change in the near future. This graffiti increase could mean more crimes like robbery, break-ins, murders, and other threatening crimes, similar to what you would more likely see in larger cities.

There are different types of graffiti markings. Some are not bad, such as the location by the I-240 bridge overpass near Lexington Ave, and by the old factories in the French Broad River District. These are artsy, which brings out our town a little, because Asheville is an art town. This does not mean that if all graffiti goes art-style it will all be ok. More than likely that would not happen, but you never know!

The signs that usually mean illegal activity are just chicken-scratch names or crude language on bridge columns and the back sides of old buildings. The problem is that it is spreading though parts of downtown as well. They are try to a little bit better which is good but they still should of not let it get this bad. The police just made big arrest in a local gang earlier this past month. There is a recent article about graffiti on the Mountain Xpress website at http://www.mountainx.com/...graffiti_is_in_the_eye_of_the_beholder/ and an older story here http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/061709buzz3/.

There are many ways to reduce this problem. One is to increase the number of street cops, and make the vandals clean it up. The places that have more of this type of crime is the run down areas like abandoned warehouses

The top picture is graffiti that is not to bad, located under the I-240 over pass near Lexington Ave. The bottom picture is a view of the graffiti that is not so nice! This is located near there Biltmore station shopping center.

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