As announced in the 2016–2020 legislative program, the City is mindful of this issue. Given the constant increase in such acts of incivility, the Lausanne Executive has strengthened its resources to intensify the fight against graffiti and thereby improve the sense of safety and cleanliness in public spaces and their surroundings. In this context, a partnership has been established with private property owners to encourage them to have their properties cleaned. To date, agreements have been signed between the City and property owners for the cleanup of nearly 200 private buildings, for which the City is responsible for removing graffiti whenever necessary. The quality of the work performed by city staff has sparked growing interest in this public-private partnership, and the number of agreements signed is increasing every month.

To date, four municipal teams patrol the city in vehicles well-equipped for this type of operation. In 2020, nearly 2,200 graffiti tags were removed from public spaces (1,196) and from private buildings covered by an agreement (916). The City has thus allocated appropriate human and financial resources to significantly improve the situation. For its part, the Police Department conducts daily patrols in the streets of Lausanne to fulfill its duty regarding public safety. Apprehending individuals caught in the act of tagging is part of its mission. These offenders are then reported to the appropriate authority and, in addition to financial penalties, are often required to participate in the removal of the graffiti.

Finally, regarding public communication, it should be noted that the Urban Cleanliness Department has prepared a two-part awareness campaign, one of which will focus on graffiti. A major poster campaign will be launched at the end of August and run for two weeks on numerous billboards throughout Lausanne’s Société Générale d’Affichage (SGA) network. This campaign will draw the public’s attention to this issue and raise awareness about the responsible and appropriate behavior expected of everyone.