Vandalism on Ottawa Street wanted after a wave of nocturnal graffiti

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The recent wave of vandal graffiti along Ottawa Street has sparked outrage from area business owners who hope that increased attention to the matter will lead to an arrest.

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At some point during the night of September 24 and in the morning hours of September 25, more than 30 surfaces along Ottawa Street (businesses, roofs, signs, poles, trash cans, and more) were tagged with various symbols, signed “Kurs”. The vandalism, which has since been largely eliminated by workers from the city of Windsor, who welded with pressure washers, included crude depictions of faces, naked people, characters who smoke, and independent firms.

Mike Osborne, coordinator of the Ottawa Street BIA, told Star businesses that they have had trouble staying open during the pandemic and that several have been forced to close. For the remaining business owners, finding an “unnecessary and disgusting clutter” on a Saturday morning meant digging through their pockets for money to clean it up, money they don’t have.

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Someone gon ‘catch the boy sooner or later

“We get tagged in the alleys all the time and we do our best to keep up,” said Osborne, who works at Freeds Windsor and lives nearby. “But this punk not only marked alleys, he sprayed the entire street on the fronts of buildings.”

Those buildings included Freeds, Room V, and New & Used. There was also painting on the Ottawa Street Arch at Windermere Road and on the rooftop of Cheecho’s Sandwich Shop.

Surveillance footage recorded outside by Splice Digital Inc. cameras around 3:45 a.m. on Sept. 25 shows a person at a sidewalk skateboard stop next to a new bus stop. The person then removes a can of spray paint from the hoodie pocket and marks the clear side of the bus stop with yellow paint. The person appeared to be wearing black pants, a black cap, and a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, as well as a black Under Armor-branded backpack.

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Additional graffiti of the same style was also reportedly found along Walker Road, Seminole Street, Milloy Street and on the Ford Test Track.

The BIA “has spent years improving the streets to beautify the area,” Osborne said. That includes creating the Ottawa Street Art Project to help businesses add murals to alleys and the sides of buildings, and paint trash cans and other street fixtures.

The day before the graffiti was found, the BIA held a new Marilyn Monroe mural by artist Shane Write in the alley between Karren’s For Kids and Esme Beauty Bar. The next day, Osborne was “taking dozens of (photographs) showing thousands of dollars in damages. “

In this case, the City of Windsor cleaned the spray paint from both city property and private property.

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Windsor Police say they are aware of the “various mischief incidents” – the graffiti – and encourage anyone with information to call them at 519-255-6700 ext. 4350, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or catchcrooks.com.

Residents and business owners in affected areas are asked to report suspicious activity by people to the police, and those with surveillance cameras are asked to review their footage to see if they can assist in the investigation.

Osborne said he has had multiple discussions with police since the vandalism was discovered, including a conversation Wednesday night. The current objective is to identify and catch the responsible vandal.

“It’s only a matter of time before someone finds someone spray-painting the word Kurs or the ungodly art planted all over the street,” he said. “Although it was horrible, it was identical everywhere. Someone is going to catch the guy sooner or later. “

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