School reports drop in graffiti
February 1st 2008 Graffiti is a real problem for schools in the UK as each intake of new students seeks to
make its mark.However, a pioneering scheme between Dunraven School, Streatham,
and Ridge Crest Cleaning has produced some positive results
Dunraven called in Ridge Crest to specifically tackle the problem
of graffiti and chewing gum deposits at the school.The
company set up a task force of cleaners who respond
immediately to any gum deposits or acts of graffiti as soon as it is
identified. The cleaners clean the area and record each incident and
the time it took to remove it.
By focussing specifically on these two areas, the team has been
able to speed the removal process and the school is now kept free of
gum and graffiti. This has meant that there is no build-up and the
school environment looks fresh and clean at all times.
The scheme is already being heralded as a success as the number
of gum and graffiti incidences has dropped on comparable figures
from the last school year.
Dave Parry, facilities manager for Dunraven School, says "The new
scheme has made a real difference to the school environment. As
graffiti is tackled as soon as it is identified we don't get a build-up,
which can make a building look uncared-for. We have already seen a
drop in incidences of graffiti since the scheme was pioneered and the
atmosphere at the school has improved as students take more pride
in their surroundings."
The recording process gives the school a permanent record of
when and where incidences take place. Where staff have taken
photos, these have been passed to the local police and this has
already lead to some convictions.
Staff focus on high risk areas to make sure that pranksters aren't
tempted to re-offend at the same location. So far the scheme has
resulted in a drop of occurrences comparable with the same months
in the last academic year.The record also means the school can gain a
realistic picture of how much time and money is being spent tackling
this problem – so far it has been
money well spent. More articles from Ridge Crest Cleaning: | 
