Bend agencies dealing with sharp rise in graffiti; BPRD says cleanup costs likely to top last year’s 900 hours, $45,000

(Update: adding video, comment from Bend PD, Bend Parks & Rec, Bend Public Works)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend Police and Public Works and the area's park district are among those dealing with a sharp rise in graffiti lately, as many locals spot and report new spray paint damage in both public and private spaces, from parks and buildings to signs and walls.

Bend Park and Rec District Park Stewardship Manager Jeff Hagler said Wednesday, "Last year, we had like 900 hours of work spending cleaning up vandalism and maintenance, at around $45,000 in cost. So we're on pace to probably beat that this year."

Hagler says graffiti in parks has become an everyday issue. Not only is graffiti an eyesore, it impacts what crews can prioritize parks.

"We used to say we'd clean up graffiti within 24 hours, but we just can't keep up with that any more," he said. "If it's very big, then we put in a work order, and then that takes away from our maintenance staff who's trying to keep the parks maintained and clean and all the facilities kept up to date. So it's taken away a lot of their time from having to do their main job to clean up and repair."

Bend Police also say they are seeing a rise in graffiti reports. The penalty varies depending on the severity of the offense.

Police Lieutenant Eric Hagan said they have classifications of first, second and third-degree criminal mischief, depending on the severity, "and that breaks down into what the dollar amount is." The less severe are Class A or C misdemeanor and the more destructive in terms of cost can be a Class C felony charge, "and then also if they had any kind of relation to an infrastructure item."

Hagan says in the past week, there have been 60 reports of graffiti in Bend -- 27 on Tuesday alone. When reports come in, they compile data to find similarities, part of the effort to try to figure out who is responsible.

Charles Swann, streets and operations manager with the city's Department of Public Works, said, "If it's a vulgar nature graffiti, we respond immediately. If it's something small or not of a vulgar nature or offensive nature, we'll block them together and spend a whole day" on cleanup.

Swann says between 2020 and 2023 requests by residents to deal with graffiti have steadily increased, from 23 in 2020 to 46 in 2023 -- and rising again this year.

The city's Public Works and Police departments and Bend Parks and Rec say they are working together to more efficiently address graffiti issues.

Swann says the uptick in graffiti has impacted the department by pulling staff from priority projects and leaving crews shorthanded.

Mayor Pro Tem Megan Perkins described the system in place for dealing with graffiti removal during a Wednesday "Ask the Mayor" appearance on NewsChannel 21 at Sunrise.  

Perkins said, "They send someone out to evaluate it. And if it's derogatory or offensive or inflammatory, they send the landscaping crew, --you know, is on public property. They send a landscaping crew out right away to take care of it. If it's not, it goes to the Deschutes County juvenile work crew, and they take care of it."