West Asheville Graffiti Arrest
1,078 views · Published 1 May 2014 · 2:45 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: WLOS News 13 · 2014 · News & Politics
The battle against graffiti continues along Haywood Road in West Asheville.
Edwards Harper is an artist by trade, but he was tapping into a different sort of creativity when he was arrested last week on a misdemeanor real injury to property charge.
Jonathan Wainscott of West Asheville doesn't get it.
"Part of the argument has been that artists need more space to express themselves and he's got plenty of work in galleries," Wainscott contends. "Whatever these social questions, whether it's graffiti or art, all those questions have been asked. But a lot of property owners are just tired of it and trying to find solutions for what we can do."
The APD says two officers were on the lookout specifically for taggers when they came across Harper last week.
Wainscott says it will take a community effort to crackdown on the problem. He says a smartphone app could be part of the answer.
"Being able to link groups of people together to share video surveillance," he explains.
"They're hurting the neighbors," says Paul Andrews, a business owner and West Asheville resident. "These are just entrepreneurs. They're creative people that are moving here to create something. And these taggers come in and are taking away from that."
Folks along Haywood road are on the front line against graffiti. As they battle against it, business and property owners say we shouldn't confuse color with creativity.
"Just because it's artistic," Wainscott says, "Doesn't give you the right to do it wherever you want."
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