operation paint the town

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 3

2. BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................................... 32.1. GRAFFITI IN DALLAS..........................................................................................................................................................3

JONES-BLAIR CompanyOperation Paint the Town

December 4, 2013

Seth Burnstein, Domingo Gonzales, Jatin Julakanti,

Ashely Lovgren, Bilal Moon

2.2. THE IMPACTS OF GRAFFITI ON A COMMUNITY.............................................................................................................42.3. CASE STUDIES..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

2.31. New York City............................................................................................................................................................... 42.32. San Francisco................................................................................................................................................................ 52.4. Conclusion Based on Research................................................................................................................................. 6

3. PROPOSAL.......................................................................................................................................................... 63.31. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)....................................................................................................................... 73.32. Downtown Dallas Inc. (DDI).................................................................................................................................. 7

4. STAFFING............................................................................................................................................................. 8

6. AUTHORIZATION........................................................................................................................................... 10

REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................................ 11

APPENDICES........................................................................................................................................................ 12APPENDIX A.............................................................................................................................................................................. 13APPENDIX B.............................................................................................................................................................................. 14APPENDIX C............................................................................................................................................................................... 15APPENDIX D.............................................................................................................................................................................. 16APPENDIX E...............................................................................................................................................................................16APPENDIX F...............................................................................................................................................................................18Appendix G............................................................................................................................................................................. 19

1. IntroductionConsider your home and the safety of your family, friends, and workplace:

Dallas is more dangerous than 94% of cities in the United States (“Crime,” 2013). Dallas has a greater crime rate than 95% of communities in Texas (“Crime,” 2013). One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Dallas is 1 in 17

(“Crime,” 2013).

We, JONES-BLAIR Company, have called Dallas our home since 1928 (JONES-BLAIR, n.d.). It is time to give back to our community by doing what we do best: painting. This creative, yet effective, approach rests on the underlying principle that graffiti greatly impacts the welfare of a community. In this proposal, we will examine how the removal of graffiti can provide lasting benefits, including reduced crime and improved business. We believe a clean environment promotes a safer one with room for economic growth.

As such, JONES-BLAIR will be partnering with DART and Downtown Dallas, Inc. in order to launch a cleanup effort in Downtown Dallas. We will be repainting selected DART light rail stations and the surrounding areas in order to remove graffiti and ensure that these locations demonstrate the potential of the Dallas area. In doing so, we can help create a safer and more attractive environment for local businesses and residents.

Our experience as paint manufacturers makes us uniquely suited to execute this project. We can provide both the supplies and the expertise needed in order to make it a success. This project, although simple in concept, will be very cost effective. A small investment by the parties involved can help bring large changes to our community.

As our business philosophy states, “Any product, sold to any customer, has but one purpose – to provide a solution to a problem,” (JONES-BLAIR, n.d.). It is our belief that our products and expertise, when combined with our partners, will combat local graffiti. By providing a solution to this problem, we can help make Dallas a more attractive area to business owners, their employees, local residents, and tourists.

2. Background

2.1. Graffiti in DallasGraffiti can be found almost anywhere in Downtown Dallas. The city receives approximately 60 reports of illegal graffiti per week (Eiserer, 2012). An example of this illegal vandalism can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 1: JONES-BLAIR Header

The most dangerous areas in Dallas are Five Points, WebbChapel-Timberline, Ross-Bennett, Forest-Audelia, and JuliusSchepps-Central (“EXCLUSIVE,” 2013). These areas lead the DFW area in violent offenses such as murder, robbery, and sexual assault. Not surprisingly, these areas are graffiti hubs.

Graffiti acts as a negative externality as well, harming the economy. Cities as large as Dallas spend two to six million or more dollars per year in cleanup efforts (“Fast Facts,” 2013). Crime reduces property values and as a result, fewer buildings are occupied for business (“Office,” n.d.). The problem is evident, but the impact is not always clear. The correlation for this causation is explained below.

2.2. The Impacts of Graffiti on a CommunityStudies have shown that small, perceived instances of decay and lawlessness have far reaching communal effects. This is understood by Malcolm Gladwell’s broken window theory as outlined in his book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.

“If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes. In a city, relatively minor problems like graffiti, public disorder, and aggressive panhandling, they write, are all the equivalent of broken windows, invitations to more serious crimes” (Gladwell, 2000).

The perception of low neighborhood safety, decay, absent communal monitoring, and gang activity are all deterrents to anyone interested in living, growing and or investing in a community. This is better understood by Gladwell’s “power of context.” You don't have to solve the big problems to solve crime. You can prevent crimes by taking care of the community through small efforts, such as cleaning up graffiti.

2.3. Case StudiesIn order to truly assess the validity of this proposal, JONES-BLAIR investigated the results of similar projects in cities relative in size to Dallas.

Figure 2:Example of graffiti in Downtown Dallas

2.31. New York CityNYC had 2,000 murders and 600,000 serious felonies a year in the 1980s. The conditions of the subway system were chaotic in New York. The rails themselves were covered with red-tape due to the rail damage, so trains had to go less than 15 mph. Fare-beating was easy to do and cost Transit Authority $150 million in revenue. Panhandlers and petty criminals had committed 20,000 felonies a year (Gladwell, 2000).

In response, NYC hired new subway director David Gunn to oversee the rebuilding of the subway system. While many urged him to tackle larger factors of crime and subway reliability, Gunn focused on graffiti as he thought it to be the symbolic collapse of the system. He realized that the common denominators of subways were that they were covered top to bottom, inside and out with graffiti.

From 1984 to 1990, he created management structures and a precise set of goals for cleaning the system line by line. The results speak for themselves. Gunn's program transformed the most dangerous metropolitan in America to the safest in the span of a decade. Through an effective graffiti cleanup program:

Murders in the city dropped by 66% (Gladwell, 2000). Felonies in the city were cut by 50% (Gladwell, 2000). Felonies on the subways were cut by 75% (Gladwell, 2000).

2.32. San Francisco More recently, efforts in San Francisco increased to not only remove graffiti, but to address it within 24 hours of it being reported. In her thesis, Natalie Dillon proved a spatial relation between graffiti and crime. Figure 3 showcases this relationship with assault, and her evidence showed a similar relation to vehicle theft, prostitution, narcotics, robbery, and arson (Dillon, 2013). Similar to New York, San Francisco also experienced its highest concentration of crime rates at or around the areas with the highest concentration of graffiti.

In 2009, San Francisco launched its 3-1-1 hotline to bolster

Figure 3:Spatial relation between graffiti (red) and assault (purple)

in San Francisco in 2012 (Dillon, 2013)

its Graffiti Watch Program. The hotline nearly quadrupled reports of graffiti, from 6,000 to 20,000 from 2008 to 2009 (Dillon, 2013).

In the last five years, San Francisco has “witnessed great reductions in overall citywide crime.

In 2008, a total of 139,364 crime reports were filed. Three years later, this number dropped 16% (22,774) to reach 116,590 crime reports filed in

2011” (Dillon, 2013).”

2.4. Conclusion Based on ResearchThe empirical evidence demonstrates the great impact graffiti can have on a community's welfare. Other research suggests, “the mere presence of graffiti doubles the number of people littering and stealing in a neighborhood” (Bryner, 2008). The broken window theory and case studies also demonstrate the benefits that a community cleanup can bring. Knowing this, JONES-BLAIR finds it appropriate to extend the following proposal in order to tackle the graffiti problem in Dallas.

3. Proposal

3.1. ObjectivesThis proposal offers the following benefits:

1. Reduce crime in the surrounding area and by extension, the city overall.2. Improve citizens' and tourists' perceptions of the city.3. Strengthen the economy in the surrounding area.

3.2. ProcessIn order to achieve these goals, JONES-BLAIR has developed a plan to paint over the graffiti-laden areas along the DART rail and the surrounding areas in Downtown Dallas. This cost-effective process cleans the area of vandalism that has tarnished the area's reputation (“Northeast Dallas,” 2013). As proven by past examples, the aesthetics of an area go a long way in determining that area's culture. In attacking vandalism, the citizens, tourists, and businesses of downtown will benefit from reduced crime and improved safety and infrastructure conditions.

We will assemble four teams of ten members amongst our pool of employees and volunteers. Each group will include at least two of our employees. They will be equipped and trained to operate a pressure sprayer. This enables each group to remove graffiti in spots where paint may be less effective or unnecessary. Two security guards from DART police will accompany each group. This is in addition to the general DART police and the Downtown Safety Patrol who will provide security around the rail and the surrounding areas. These entities will be discussed in Section 3.3 on Page 7.

Volunteers will meet at Union Station on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 8:00 AM. At 8:30, these groups will begin boarding the DART to the designated stops (see Appendix A, Page 13). The stops on this map are targeted for their moderate to heavy amounts of graffiti. Each group will cover four stops. At the targeted stops, groups will use our paint to cover the graffiti. Each group will carry ten gallons of paint. Alternatively, an employee of ours will carry a pressure sprayer to remove the graffiti.

At 12:00 PM, the groups will ride the DART to Reunion Park to enjoy a free lunch. Baker’s Ribs will cater box lunches. Upper management of JONES-BLAIR will pick up the orders and meet the volunteers at Reunion Park. We will begin our contact with Baker’s Ribs three months prior to the event. Costs to be associated with the lunch have been considered in the budget (see Section 5.1 on Page 9).

3.3. PartnershipsIn order to effectively execute this plan, JONES-BLAIR has struck partnerships with two entities. Both provide unique benefits that will help streamline the process and make it more cost-effective.

3.31. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)In exchange for cleaning the surrounding areas and in the spirit of goodwill, DART has agreed to provide our volunteers with free rail passes on the day of the event. This enables our groups to travel to and from the targeted areas with ease and in numbers. It simplifies our process as well into four easy steps:

1. Board the DART and ride to a designated spot.2. Exit the DART in order to paint over and/or pressure spray the graffiti.3. Repeat steps one and two until all four stops for each group have been addressed.4. Ride the DART to Reunion Park at 12:00.

Furthermore, DART will help in the security efforts by way of the DART Police. Appendix B on Page 14 provides the correspondence between our team and DART in which they agree to these services.

3.32. Downtown Dallas Inc. (DDI)“DDI is a non-profit organization that is the principle advocate, champion, and steward of Downtown Dallas” (Downtown, n.d.). Its Downtown Safety Patrol (DSP) will provide additional security. While the DART Police will cover the areas around the DART itself, DSP will cover areas outside the rail. DSP will also provide its services at the picnic after the volunteer event.

Additionally, this proposal meets the requirements to take a deduction for any inventory donated by JONES-BLAIR. Further explanation and its impact can be found in the budget section (see Section 5.2 on Page 9) and in Appendix G on Page 19.

Appendix C on Page 15 provides the correspondence between our team and DDI in which they agree to the security service.

3.4. MarketingIn order to assemble our group of volunteers, we will reach out to our entire company of 160 employees (JONES-BLAIR, n.d.) to join the effort. We will e-mail a flyer (see Appendix D on Page 16) that advertises the project. This will enable our employees to share it with friends and family. On the flyer will be a link to the online volunteer sign-up form (see Appendix E on Page 17 for a screenshot of it). The aim is to have our group of 40 volunteers assembled one month prior to the event. The proximity is to ensure that a commitment is made in advance but not too far out for the commitment to be broken.

Figure 4: Figure 5:DART Logo DDI Logo

We will request the DART passes once 40 volunteers have signed up for the event. They will be distributed on the day of the event when the group first unites in the morning at Union station.

3.5. Follow-UpJONES-BLAIR understands the effort it will take to meet the objectives outlined in Section 3.1 on Page 6. This one-day event will simply be the beginning of a long-term fight against vandalism along the DART and the greater downtown area.

Every second Saturday of every month for the next three years, JONES-BLAIR will send a group of employees to review the same areas targeted on the map. This group will make sure that vandalism is not reappearing in the areas addressed in this plan. In such a case, the group will paint over or pressure spray the graffiti. In addition, we will be in contact with DART and DDI for any new areas that are in need of cleanup. These groups will be paid overtime for their efforts. These costs are not included in the budget as they are not accurately foreseeable. JONES-BLAIR will assume them when they occur.

4. Staffing

Team NumberNumber of Company

Employees Number of VolunteersNumber of

Accompanying DART Officers

1 2-5 5-8 22 2-5 5-8 23 2-5 5-8 24 2-5 5-8 2

Follow-Up Team(4 Teams)

3 0-7 1-2

We will enlist the 40 volunteers based on who signs up first. We will require a minimum of two of our employees per group, meaning at least eight of our employees for the project. This is so each group has at least two volunteers who can utilize a pressure sprayer. Employees without the ability to work one will be trained prior to the event. Two security guards, from the DART Police, will accompany each group. In addition to providing protection, DART security can provide insight as to what constitutes illegal graffiti versus legitimate artwork as deemed by the rail or city.

Volunteers who sign up beyond the required 40 will be extended an opportunity to join the follow-up effort (details outlined in Section 3.5 on this page). These groups will not require volunteers beyond our own workers, although up to seven per group are welcome. The employees volunteering for the follow-up can recruit them. The 12 employees on the follow-up teams will be compensated with overtime pay. Security personnel will be enlisted from DART based on the size of the groups, with one guard per group of three to five and two guards per group of six to ten.

Once the volunteers have arrived at Union Station at 8:00, we will distribute the volunteer T-Shirts. DART and DSP will know to recognize those wearing these T-Shirts as volunteers. A draft of the T-Shirts can be seen in Appendix F on Page 18. For those involved in the follow-up efforts, T-Shirts will be produced for them in the future. JONES-BLAIR will assume these costs. They are not included in the budget as they are not accurately foreseeable.

Table 1: Group Makeup

5. Budget

5.1. Breakdown

Items Description Quantity Price TotalPaint 1 Gallon 40 $8 $320 Supplies Paint Brushes 20 $5 $100 Paint Rollers 20 $10 $200 Paint Trays 40 $5 $200 T-Shirts Adult Size 30 $12 $360 Youth Size 10 $8 $80 Food BBQ Catering 40 $8 $320

Total $1,580 Write-Off ($431.19)Grand Total $1148.81

We project this proposal to cost $1,900 for 40 participants. The details to each section are as follows:

1. 40 gallons of paint will cover 16,000 square feet of wall. There will be one gallon per person. 2. The supplies list contains three individual items totaling $500. The supplies consist of 20 paint-

brushes, 20 paint rollers with rods, and 40 paint trays. 3. Each volunteer will receive a T-Shirt. The budget, as planned assumes 30 adults and 10 children,

however this is simply a forecast. The true numbers will depend on the first 40 to sign-up. Nev-ertheless, the costs will be within range of the $440 predicted above.

4. We plan to buy lunch for our volunteers as a reward for their hard work. The total cost is based on an average of $8 per person for a plate of BBQ with sides and a drink, amounting to $320.

5. The costs are derived from our own website (JONES-BLAIR, n.d.), the T-Shirt manufacturer’s website (Custom, n.d.), and the caterer’s website (Baker’s, n.d.).

5.2. Tax Write-OffAs Downtown Dallas, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we will be taking the opportunity to use this project as a charitable contribution write-off for the current tax year. This transaction satisfies the requirements set out in the Internal Revenue Code §170(e)(3)(A). As such, JONES-BLAIR Company becomes eligible to take a deduction for the amount of $431.19. Thus, our final figure for the budget is $1148.81. The calculations to arrive at this figure are shown in Appendix G on Page 19.

Table 2: Breakdown of the Budget

6. Authorization JONES-BLAIR, DART and Downtown Dallas Inc. request authorization from the Dallas Chamber of Commerce in order to proceed with the above plan to beautify Downtown Dallas. We are requesting that the Chamber cover 50% of the cost of this project after the projected tax savings for JONES-BLAIR. As this project has a cost of $1148.81 net of the tax savings, we request that the council contribute $574.40 in order to match the outlay of JONES-BLAIR. This relatively small investment on the part of JONES-BLAIR and the Chamber of Commerce will cause a large change for the better.

The execution of this proposal can make the Downtown Dallas area a better place to live and do business. Join with JONES-BLAIR Company, DART, and Downtown Dallas Inc. as we work to make our home a cleaner and safer living environment.

___________________________ ________________________________President, Chamber of Commerce President, JONES-BLAIR Company

References

Baker's Ribs. Retrieved from http://www.bakersribs.com/

Bryner, Jeanna. "Graffiti Triggers Crime and Littering." LiveScience.com. N.p., 20 Nov. 2008. Web. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/7599-graffiti-triggers-crime-littering.html

"Crime rates for Dallas, TX." Dallas TX Crime Rates and Statistics. N.p., 2013. Web. Retrieved fromhttp://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/dallas/crime/

Custom Ink. Retrieved from http://www.customink.com/styles/gildan-ultra-cotton-t-shirt/04600#imagelink

Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved from http://www.dart.org

Dillon, Natalie. (2013). Exploring the Broken Windows Theory: A Spatial Analysis of Graffiti and Crime inSan Francisco (Honors Thesis). Retrieved from http://urbanstudies.stanford.edu/programs/documents/Dillon-HonorsThesis.pdf

Downtown Dallas Inc. Retrieved from http://www.downtowndallas.org

Eiserer, Tanya. "Dallas will try to reduce graffiti by giving artists 'free walls'." The Dallas Morning News.N.p., 22 Aug. 2012. Web. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20120822-dallas-will-try-to-reduce-graffiti-by-giving-artists-free-walls.ece

EXCLUSIVE: Dallas’ 10 Worst Hotspots for Violent Crime in 2013. (2013, July 24). Dallas Voice. Retrieved from http://www.dallasvoice.com/10-dangerous-areas-dallas-10153374.html

"Fast Facts About Graffiti." Graffiti Hurts. N.p., n.d. Web. Retrieved fromhttp://www.graffitihurts.org/getfacts/fastfacts.jsp

Gladwell, M. (2000). The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. London: Little,Brown.

Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. §170 (1986).

JONES-BLAIR Company. Retrieved from http://www.jones-blair.com/jbc.htm

"Northeast Dallas, Garland, TX." SeeClickFix. N.p., 2013. Web. Retrieved fromhttp://seeclickfix.com/northeast-dallas/categories/graffiti

Office of the Plymouth Town Manager. (n.d). Take Pride Town wide [Brochure]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.plymouth-ma.gov/Public_Documents/PlymouthMA_townmgr/Report%20Graffiti%20and%20Litter/Graffiti%20Brochure.pdf

Appendices

A: Map of DART stations in Downtown Dallas to be cleaned up

B: Correspondence of DART agreeing to a partnership

C: Correspondence of DDI agreeing to a partnership

D: E-mail flyer sent to employees

E: Online volunteer signup form

F: T-Shirt design (front and back)

G: Tax Write-Off calculation

Appendix A

Appendix B1401 Pacific Ave.Dallas, TX 75202(214) 749-3278

December 3, 2013

Bilal Moon2728 Empire CentralDallas, TX 75235

Dear Mr. Moon,

Subject: Partnership with JONES-BLAIR for a Graffiti Cleanup Project in Downtown Dallas

After careful consideration, it is my pleasure to inform you that DART has agreed to your proposal. Your company's willingness to step forward and tackle the issue of vandalism at and around our rail systems is highly commendable. We would be delighted to offer our services in order to execute this project.

DART formally agrees to reserve 40 passes on the day of May 10, 2014 at no charge. These passes will be valid from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM as requested. To streamline the process, we will hold these passes at our booth at Union Station. Your group may collect them upon your arrival.

DART will also provide additional security to accompany your groups on their mission. This is in tandem with our general security. This security serves two purposes:

They increase protection for your volunteers. They can help designate areas of legitimate artwork that should not be removed.

Furthermore, DART will continue to provide free passes and security personnel for your follow-up efforts. We will be in constant communication with you as to which areas need to be addressed.

We look forward to working with you to improve our community. Once again, we commend and thank you for your efforts. Please see the enclosed map that highlights the 12 targeted stops for cleanup. Please contact me for any additional questions or details on the matter.

Sincerely,

Zareed Mustapha

Zareed MustaphaDART Administrative OfficesCommunity Services

Enclosure

Appendix C

2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 4600ETel: (214) 744-1270Dallas, TX 75201 Fax: (214) 744-1986

December 2, 2013

Bilal Moon2728 Empire CentralDallas, TX 75235

Dear Mr. Moon,

Subject: Partnership with JONES-BLAIR for a Graffiti Cleanup Project in Downtown Dallas

Your proposal to remove graffiti from Downtown Dallas falls in line with our core values. As such, DDI will gladly provide free security efforts from our Downtown Safety Patrol throughout the course of your project on May 10, 2014. In addition, we will also enlist our security for your picnic at Reunion Park.

Thank you for reaching out to us on this matter. It is out mission to maintain Downtown Dallas. It delights us to see businesses in the area aiding in this effort. Please contact me if there are any additional details or questions.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Barnes

Cheryl BarnesDDI Clean Team

Appendix D

Get Ready to PAINT the Town!

Join us Saturday, May 10, 2014 for our first voluntary graffiti cleanup in Downtown Dallas.

Friends and Family Welcome!Free Lunch and T-Shirts!

Click Here to Sign Up Online

Appendix E

Volunteer Sign-Up Form

Come join us, JONES-BLAIR Company, as we attack the graffiti that plagues Downtown Dallas.

Upon arrival: You will be given your FREE T-Shirt and DART passYou and your group will travel to four designated spots with moderate to heavy amounts of graffiti

Pick up a brush and paint away that vandalismThen enjoy a FREE lunch at Reunion Park for a job well done!

If interested, please fill out the following information.Thank you for your effort in beautifying our home and yours!

Name ______________________E-Mail ______________________Phone ______________________T-Shirt Size XS S M L XL 2XL

YXS YS YM YL YXLEmployee Yes No

JONES-BLAIR Company

Operation Paint the Town

Date: Sat May 10, 2014Time: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Location: Meet at DART Union Station

SUBMITSUBMIT

Appendix F

Appendix G

Calculation for Tax Write-Off

Deduction = (Sales Price – 0.5 * (Sales Price – Cost)) * Gallons of Paint DonatedDeduction = (13.56 – 0.5 * (13.56 - 8)) * 40Deduction = 10.78 * 40 = $431.20

Note 1: This is calculated as required in IRC §170(e)(3)(B)(i), where the sales price of the assets donated is reduced by one half of the gain that would have resulted from sale of the asset (26 USC §170).

Note 2: Sales price calculated using COGS as 59% of sales price.