Historic bell tower hit by taggers

We’ve talked to several area business owners who say they’ve seen a rise in graffiti around downtown Ballard.

Sometime overnight the historic bell tower at Marvin’s Garden on the corner of Ballard Ave and 22nd Ave NW was hit by taggers. In May, Art Olsen was handed a little red wagon with a graffiti kit. Unfortunately that kit is used to paint over graffiti and won’t work on the brick and plaque. The Parks Department is going to have to come out and clean it off. At a recent crime prevention meeting on Crown Hill, Seattle Police Officer Devlin Haag said that the detective who used to investigate graffiti was a victim of budget cuts. Now officers must actually see the taggers in action to take action of their own. Safety has been a major concern at the three downtown parks – Marvin’s Garden, Bergen Place Park and Ballard Commons. An exclusion zone has been set up for the parks and bike patrols recently started around the area.