General Services Department

We help keep Detroit beautiful.

The General Services Department helps to make the City of Detroit a clean, safe and vibrant place. We are in charge of the City’s vehicle fleet, forestry services, vacant lot maintenance, city-owned building maintenance, and park and recreation center planning, design, improvements, and programming. We directly operate or partner in the maintenance and improvement of 310 public parks and 18 recreation centers, and are working to ensure every resident has accessible opportunities for recreation within walking distance of their home.

Documents

Adopt-A-Park FAQ PDF

Adopt-A-Park FAQs PDF Document

Graffiti FAQ

What happens if my property has graffiti on it? What happens if I don't remove the graffiti?

If your property has graffiti on it, City inspectors will provide a correction notice to the manager or owner on site or post the correction notice on the building. The inspector will also mail a postcard to the registered property owner to inform him or her that a correction notice has been issued.

If you do not remove the graffiti within 7 days, you will be given a ticket. If no one is there when the inspector visits, the ticket will be posted on your building. You may also get additional tickets if your property is out of compliance with other City property maintenance ordinances. The City will then go on your property to remove the graffiti. You will be given a court date for 2-4 weeks later and the date will be written on your ticket.

If you want to dispute a correction notice for any reason, immediately call

Graffiti Contact Number

(313) 628-2451

You will receive a ticket in order to be assigned a hearing date, and the City will not enter your property to clean.

How much does a graffiti ticket cost?

A first offense graffiti ticket with fees is $130. You will also have to pay fees for any other property tickets you receive. If the City cleans your property, you will have to pay cleaning fees, which start at about $200 based on the size of the area covered by the graffiti.

What if I have artwork on my property?

The City recognizes that there is a wide range of styles of artwork that property owners authorize on their structures, including some that may be "graffiti style.” If there is any artwork on your property that you have authorized, please register the artwork at www.detroitmi.gov/graffiti.

How do I remove the graffiti?

Products are available to dissolve graffiti on unpainted surfaces so that it can be washed off with water. A power washer can remove the graffiti after it’s been treated for 20 minutes but a garden hose can rinse the graffiti off if it’s treated overnight. The City is partnering with Sherwin Williams to provide discounts at Detroit area locations on graffiti-resistant paints, power washer rentals, and painting supplies so that if you paint over graffiti and it returns you can wash off the new graffiti with soap and water, or, in the worst case scenario, by power washing.

To get the discounted prices, just mention the Detroit Graffiti Initiative. You should always use gloves and safety glasses when removing graffiti.

To get information on cleaning graffiti or discounted products, visit www.detroitmi.gov/graffiti, or call

Sherwin Williams
(313) 491-5650

What happens if I remove the graffiti andit comes back? What are you doing to go after the vandals?

The best way to stop vandals is by cleaning off any new graffiti within 48 hours. You should take photos of your property after you remove the graffiti. If it returns, take another photo before you clean it off again because the photos can be used as evidence to prosecute the vandals.

The Detroit Police Department is going after graffiti vandals. They can give you helpful advice on how to install cameras to catch vandals and how to report and follow up on a property damage case. If you find graffiti on your property, report the crime by calling

Report Graffiti

(313) 378-1944

[email protected]

If you witness a graffiti crime in progress, call 911.

General Services Department

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Documents

Adopt-A-Park FAQ PDF

Graffiti FAQ

City Walls

Adopt-A-Park Information

Adopt-A-Park FAQ

Tree Services

Tree Down