Image by Flickr user anarchosynImage by 20080802graffiti.jpg Art or vandalism? Well, the city of Charleston obviously goes with the latter.

There's been a 70 percent decline in graffiti complaints since December, The Post and Courier reports, but that doesn't mean it's not a problem. Many historical buildings and churches are ruined by the "art," because they can't be pressure-washed or repainted.

The city is trying, however. The Post and Courier mentions Mayor Joe Riley's 2007 statement that the city would get rid of all the graffiti in town. And while maybe it hasn't quite achieved that, there are still obvious results being seen.

From The Post and Courier:

Charles Francis, spokesman for the Charleston Police Department, said perhaps 10 percent of the graffiti is gang-related. He said the city has made dozens of arrests in the past year and a half but did not know what sort of sentences those found guilty received.

...

"The vast majority (of those arrested) have been white males from about 17 years old to their upper 20s," Robinson said. "A number of them were college students."

Here's a documentary posted on YouTube a few months ago about graffiti in Charleston:

If you're looking to report graffiti, call the Charleston Police Department at 958-1500 or visit their Web site.