Eliminating Graffiti in the New Orleans Metro Area

OPERATION: CLEAN SWEEP

Achievements

Text Box: Accomplishments Pre-Katrina Established a “Graffiti Hotline” in the New Orleans Police Department Directory; all graffiti problems within the City of New Orleans are now referred to Operation: Clean Sweep. The hotline relieved the NOPD of over 4,000 phone calls. Established a Task Force with the City Council and Orleans Parish School Board to clean up graffiti in the public schools. Set up pilot program involving students to eliminate graffiti from Orleans Parish Public Schools. Set up pilot program involving New Orleans Sanitation Department to eliminate graffiti from trash cans in the French Quarter and along St. Charles Avenue to Carrollton Avenue. Set up Pilot program with New Orleans Recreation Department and Juvenile Court Judges to allow juvenile offenders to remove graffiti from NOPD facilities in lieu of jail time. Operation: Clean Sweep credited with reducing graffiti in New Orleans BY 65% city-wide, by 85% in the French Quarter. Set up pilot program for the ex-offenders to perform community service working with the State Probation Department. Set up pilot program for the Teen Court and Families in Need Services for juveniles to perform community service. Work program with the State Highway Department in eliminating graffiti on signs above Interstate 10. Assisted New Orleans Police Department in the apprehension of four individuals responsible for over one thousand graffiti marking per month for eight months in the French Quarter; fined $3,000. Followed up with Juvenile and Criminal Courts, and with District Attorney Harry Connick’s office, in the prosecution of graffiti offenders. Supported the City of New Orleans’ Strategic inspection Force Team, by eliminating graffiti in Gert Town, Little Woods, Desire-Florida Housing Development. Participated in the New Orleans’ “Promises for Youth Program” by eliminating graffiti from Canal Street and Claiborne Avenue to St. Bernard Avenue. Presented for future City Ordinances to Councilman James Singleton, to institute fines for property owners and businesses who failed to clean graffiti from the buildings within 30 days. Eliminated one and one-half miles of gang-related graffiti at the 17th Street Canal with the assistance of volunteers from Warren Easton High School and the New Orleans Rotary Club. Supported the City of New Orleans in its “Rally for New Orleans Public Schools” by eliminating graffiti at Booker T. Washington High School. Supported the City of New Orleans in the 2nd Annual “Rally for New Orleans Public Schools” by eliminating graffiti at Woodson School, in addition to being a member of the Rally Planning Committee. Official sponsor for the National Mayors Conference in New Orleans; eliminated graffiti in 19 blocs around the St. Thomas Housing Project Removed graffiti from Orleans Avenue to St. Bernard Avenue, from Broad Street to Rampart Street, totaling 155 blocks. Cleaned 2-1/2 miles of graffiti on the Tchoupitoulas corridor (over 350 graffiti marks on 1st and 2nd stories). Over 10,000 graffiti tags painted out. Official Graffiti Remover for the 1997 Super Bowl Official Graffiti Remover for the 2002 Super Bowl Member of the 2002 Beautification Committee for the 2002 Super Bowl Member of the OPSB School Alumni Clean-Up Committee for 4 years. Appointed to the Mayor’s Recycling Committee Produced and filmed six Public Service Announcements with local celebrities. Filmed and produced graffiti video in New Orleans and made a presentation to the “Louisiana Clean and Green” Seminar in Baton Rouge, representing over 200 organization, private businesses, as well as the Department of Environmental Quality and Mrs. Mike Foster. Produced the basic Graffiti Awareness video for the New Orleans Police Academy. Guest speaker at the “Louisianan Clean and Green” seminar in Baton Rouge along with Mike Heimbach, head of the FBI Gang Task Force in New Orleans and Victoria Wilson, head of the “Philapride” graffiti clean-up initiative of Philadelphia. Guest speaker at over three dozen Neighborhood Associations, instructing residents on protecting their neighborhood. July named “Operation: Clean Sweep” month my Mayor Morial Received “National Volunteer Week” certificate from President William J. Clinton Mr. Radtke was recommended to the local planning team for the Juvenile Justice Commission by the Office of Criminal Justice Coordination Honors and Awards Pre-Katrina Winner of the National Freedom Foundation Award for Community Service Proclamation for Outstanding Community Service from the City of New Orleans Proclamation for Outstanding Community Service from the State of Louisiana; established “Graffiti” as a category (for the first time) along with Trash, Litter and Dumping Waste, with the Department of Environmental Quality in Baton Rouge. Honored with four Articles in the New Orleans Police Department newsletters, citing assistance to NOPD in crime reduction efforts. Published in the National Public Works Magazine, 2002. Received the “Outstanding Achievement” Award from the Victims Against Crime. Supported by the Louisiana State Police Supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Orleans Gang Task Force. Supported by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Coordination. July declared “Operation: Clean Sweep” Month by Mayor Marc Morial National recognition in “People” Magazine. Post-Katrina Participated in press conference with FBI Gang Task Force. NOPD Chief Riley, and Lt. Savage, NOPD Intelligence. Established a program with the French Quarter Business Association and the Vieux Carre’ Commission to use authentic paint colors in restoring buildings tagged with graffiti. Established partnership with the Downtown Development District Established partnership with the Regional Planning Commission. Operation: Clean Sweep featured in an article about restoration in the Preservation Resource Center’s “Preservation in Print” magazine. Established a “Weed & Seed” program to eliminate graffiti in the Treme and Central City neighborhoods. “International Project for the Non-Profit Leadership” Certificate for Board Management. Presented with the “Cleaner New Orleaner” Award Presented with the “Keep America Beautiful” National Award.

ERADICATING GRAFFITI

One Block at a Time

The Graffiti Hotline

(504) 486—9694

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