Graffiti Spreads Across Baltimore Properties

Markings appear on residential and commercial buildings, raising concerns about property values, tourism, and safety.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:39pm

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Baltimore is facing a growing graffiti problem that has expanded beyond vacant buildings and public spaces, with markings now appearing on residential properties and commercial businesses. This has prompted concerns about the impact on property values, tourism, and public safety. While some view graffiti as a form of creative expression, property owners are struggling with the costs of repeatedly removing the markings.

Why it matters

The spread of graffiti across Baltimore properties highlights the city's ongoing challenge in addressing vandalism and maintaining a clean, welcoming environment for residents and visitors. The issue raises questions about balancing artistic expression with property rights and community aesthetics, as well as the effectiveness of the city's current approach to graffiti removal.

The details

Graffiti has been appearing on a wide range of properties, from industrial buildings to the offices of the City Union of Baltimore. Removing the markings can be costly and difficult, with some property owners reporting that the graffiti reappears shortly after being cleaned. The city currently has a six-person unit that removes graffiti from city-owned property and public rights of way, but this does not address the problem on private properties.

  • Over the summer, the city's graffiti removal unit erased more than 1,200 pieces of graffiti.

The players

Bill Smith

The manager of an industrial machine shop in South Baltimore who says removing graffiti costs thousands without knowing whether it will happen again.

Chris Runge-Chacko

The administrator of the City Union of Baltimore, whose building has been tagged by graffiti so many times that the union is running into issues with insurance to remove it.

Adam Stab

A style writer, graffiti artist, and muralist who believes graffiti involves creative expression and is a reflection of what's going on in a community.

Tonya Miller-Hall

A former city employee who created a graffiti task force and recommends teaming up graffiti artists with muralists and paying them to create murals.

Brandon Scott

The mayor of Baltimore who says he's open to the idea of adding more murals to replace graffiti and showcase the city's art and culture.

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What they’re saying

“It's vandalism. I've been here 19 years. While we've dealt with all the other stuff — theft, homelessness — tagging has never been an issue. And, in the last six months, they've started on one end of the building, made their way all the way up to the end, and now are going around to the front of the building where the entrances are.”

— Bill Smith, Industrial machine shop manager

“When you spray it off, this grouting comes out and the bricks will start to shift. We're struggling with that, but we're hoping to work something out. Our building is in good shape except for graffiti.”

— Chris Runge-Chacko, City Union of Baltimore administrator

“Ingenuity. Who brings an ingenuity to their game gets noticed. Who brings daring, who brings the risk. It's an exchange of information in the public face available to all, whether you want it to be or not.”

— Adam Stab, Graffiti artist and muralist

“Artists come from around the world to put up work in Baltimore. This is one of the bigger cities that graffiti work is shown.”

— Tonya Miller-Hall, Former city employee and graffiti task force creator

“Unless we figure out a way to get a mural up here, I don't know that we take the paint off again. We take it off and they'll be back within a week or two.”

— Chris Runge-Chacko, City Union of Baltimore administrator

What’s next

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott says he's open to the idea of adding more murals to replace graffiti, and the city's graffiti task force recommends teaming up graffiti artists with muralists and paying them to create murals as a potential solution to the problem.

The takeaway

The spread of graffiti across Baltimore properties highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing artistic expression, property rights, and community aesthetics. While some view graffiti as a creative outlet, property owners are struggling with the costs and futility of repeatedly removing the markings. Exploring collaborative mural projects with graffiti artists could offer a potential solution that celebrates the city's artistic talent while addressing the graffiti problem.