[Adopted 9-6-2012 by Ord. No. 4]
A. 
Graffiti on public and private property is a blighting influence which not only depreciates the value of the property which has been the target of such graffiti but also depreciates the value of the adjacent and surrounding properties and, in so doing, negatively impacts upon the entire community.
B. 
The Council finds that graffiti is a public nuisance and, unless promptly removed from public and private properties, tends to remain and to attract more graffiti; other properties are then the target of graffiti. The City Council therefore determines that it is appropriate that the City of Troy develop procedures to cause graffiti to be swiftly removed from public and private property under the circumstances set forth hereinafter. Through the adoption of this section, it is the Council's intent and purpose to reduce blight and deterioration within the City and to protect the public health and safety and to provide additional tools to protect public and private property from acts of graffiti vandalism and defacement. The Council does not intend for this section to conflict with any existing anti-graffiti state laws.
As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated.
GRAFFITI
Any unauthorized inscription, word, figure, marking or design, painting and/or other defacement that is written, marked, etched, scratched, sprayed, drawn, painted, posted, pasted, glued or engraved on or otherwise affixed to any surface of public or private property without the prior written consent of the owner of the property or the owner's authorized agent, or in the case of public property, of the person having charge, custody or control thereof.
INDECENT MARK
A mark that portrays sexual or excretory activities and organs in a manner that is offensive as measured by contemporary community standards.
OBSCENITY
As defined in § 235 of the New York Penal Law.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to apply graffiti to any surface on any public or private property.
B. 
The existence of graffiti on public or private property is a public nuisance and, therefore, is subject to removal and abatement provisions specified in this section.
C. 
It is the duty of the occupant, lessee, agent and owner of the property to which the graffiti has been applied to keep the property clear of graffiti at all times.
A. 
Requirement to remove graffiti. Any person applying graffiti on public or private property shall have the duty to properly remove or cover the graffiti, or pay for the same, within 24 hours after notice by the City or the private owner of the property involved. Where the graffiti is applied by an unemancipated minor, the parents or legal guardian of such minor shall be responsible for the proper removal or covering or for payment for the same.
B. 
Removal of graffiti by the property owner or City. If graffiti is not properly removed or covered by the applicator according to Subsection A, the graffiti shall be properly removed or covered pursuant to the following provisions:
(1) 
Upon written or verbal complaint or of his/her own volition and after inspecting the property, the Chief of Police or his/her designee shall have the power and duty to request the restoration of property defaced with graffiti upon seven days' written notice to the property owner or other responsible person in charge of the property, providing notification of the City's ability to restore the property should the owner fail to do so.
(2) 
Removal of graffiti by City on private property. Any property owner or other responsible person in charge of the property may request that community police, with the assistance of public works, remove graffiti from private property.
(3) 
Summary removal of graffiti. The City shall summarily remove graffiti on public property.
(4) 
Summary removal of obscene or indecent marks. The city shall summarily remove or cover obscene and indecent marks which are visible to the public on public or private properties.
A. 
The Chief of Police or his/her designee shall maintain a registry of all graffiti in the City of Troy. The registry shall contain the property address, photographs of the graffiti, the date it was first identified and the date it was removed.
B. 
Prior to the removal or covering of any graffiti, the person removing or covering the graffiti shall contact the head of community police to arrange for documentation.