Members of the Saskatoon Fire Department hold many roles in the community, but covering graffiti is one you might not have known about.

SFD Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer says if graffiti is reported to them, it will be inspected, and an order to remove or cover it will be given to the property owner.

Raymer says they realize that graffiti is a crime done against a building and will not penalize the building or landowner. If the owner is unable to get rid of the vandalism, a nonprofit partner with the SFD will do it instead. Although the organization can’t completely remove the graffiti, as it is too costly, they will match the paint as best they can and cover it up.

She says there are several ways to report a graffiti incident. Graffiti can be reported to the SFD’s property maintenance hotline at 306–975-2828, or through an email to fire inspections at saskatoon.ca. According to the mid-year update from the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners, in the first half of this year, graffiti showed an increased prevalence of 54.8 per cent from last year.

Raymer says ideally, graffiti should be removed within 24 hours, as many pieces include crude messages or gang-related tags.