Alki restroom-building mural vandalized by tagger(s). So what happens now?

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

If you’ve been by Alki Beach since this morning, you might have noticed the white tagging all but covering the relatively new sea-life mural on that also-relatively-new restroom building. Alki resident Cami photographed it very early in the morning. We don’t show tags in their entirety, but are showing just a small part of it above; her photos show the damage is extensive. Since the restroom is a Seattle Parks facility, we contacted them first and heard back this afternoon, “The artist will be attending to the graffiti. We’ll let them assess and determine the path forward.” We subsequently contacted the artist, Patrick Nguyen aka Dozfy, and he first asked for a photo, while telling us, “Most likely I will repaint it depending on the extent of graffiti.” Updates to come. You’ll recall we recently reported on a report related to problems keeping Seattle Parks from fully opening all its restrooms; vandalism like this was among those problems.

alkibeech March 5, 2025 (2:30 pm)

May they always step in dog doo for their crappy behavior.

AJ March 5, 2025 (2:40 pm)

Please catch these people, toss them in prison and throw away the key.

Derek March 5, 2025 (5:48 pm)

Really, prison for spray paint? This almost as unhinged.
- Paul A.Reboca March 5, 2025 (6:30 pm)
  
  Why not?I did eight years in prison and seen multiple graffiti artists. If you are willing to mess up someone’s hard work and creativity that they used to make something look better for THE PEOPLE why shouldn’t they have to pay for it?That’s someone’s hard work that you basically stole and claimed as yours. Should someone who steals an expensive canvas be punished or should someone who breaks into an art gallery and tags the paintings be dealt with?That’s the problem with society nowadays. Nobody wants order.
  - agree March 5, 2025 (7:51 pm)
    
    Absolutely agree, Paul!
  - amd March 5, 2025 (8:06 pm)
    
    Yes, let’s make sure every person who steps out of line spends enough time behind bars to lose their job and housing, and be branded with a record that will make it difficult to get a new job and housing once released. Then we should also villainize them for being “criminals”, doubling down on the apathy because they’re homeless, and call them names when depression over the inability to find work or housing leads them to self-medicate with street drugs. This is definitely an appropriate and proportional reaction to spray paint, and will definitely lead us to a Normal and Functioning Society. There is NO WAY this will increase the number of homeless and drug addicted people we see living in public. It’s a perfect plan!
    - wscommuter March 6, 2025 (1:09 pm)
      
      AMD – Please do explain what punishment you think is appropriate for destroying this public art work? Your choice of wording “steps outside the lines” is a silly minimization as unreasonable as AJ’s comment about “jailing/throwing away the keys”. The idiots who did this did a shitty thing to a cool public amenity. The crime committed (Malicious Mischief in the 1st Degree) is a low-level felony. If somehow the idiots were caught, they might get a few days in jail per RCW sentencing guidelines. But their actions were despicably selfish. If, in your hypothetical, somehow they were caught and lost out on work or housing or such because of their own selfish choices (which wouldn’t happen in the real world with this particular crime), I’m really ok with that. Accountability has to factor in somewhere here.
    - K March 6, 2025 (10:35 pm)
      
      Community service and a fine? Fits the crime, you destroyed public space, you can help clean up graffiti and public spaces, and then kick in a couple hundred bucks to cover the supplies required to clean and repaint. You don’t have to ruin someone’s future to teach them a lesson.
- T Rex March 5, 2025 (10:05 pm)
  
  Hey Derek, How about they come and paint on your property right after you pay for your home to be painted? Or some counseling and some herbal tea?
- Marcus March 6, 2025 (6:33 am)
  
  I would prefer an orange jumpsuit and trash pickup along west marginal way.
Lauren March 5, 2025 (9:33 pm)

I would argue the “problem with society” nowadays is wanting to put people in prison for spray paint.
Local March 5, 2025 (10:50 pm)

Do you know the difference between jail and prison? Vandalism is a misdemeanor. At most that means jail time. Typically it means a fine. Prison is out of question.

Tom Kmitta March 5, 2025 (2:40 pm)

This absolutely sickens me. This was a stunning work of art that was vandalized for what? What does someone get from doing this? I just wonder if the ones involved in the hit and run on 63rd and Alki were involved with this. I hope it is being looked into by the authorities. I also wonder if there are cameras in the vicinity that view this site.

webcami March 5, 2025 (2:41 pm)

To the artist, if there is anything the community can do to help with the repairs, please let us know.

D-Mom March 6, 2025 (10:59 am)

Ditto! I love this mural and am very sad it was damaged.

Beach Driver March 5, 2025 (2:45 pm)

I’ve been waiting to see how long it would take for this to happen. I drove by before this posting, and the graffiti is extensive covering all the mural images. If the artist does repaint it, unfortunately it will likely happen again.

justme March 5, 2025 (3:03 pm)

Someone with no talent or class whatsoever.

Marcus March 5, 2025 (3:10 pm)

Bring on the cameras, tired of punks messing with my world. Catch them and put them on cleanup duty.

Karen March 5, 2025 (3:23 pm)

Disgraceful, disgusting behavior. Absolutely no reason or excuse for this! Will our society EVER return to “normal”?

K to the F March 5, 2025 (3:25 pm)

Happy to contribute to an anti-graffiti coating fund as well!

Alki resident March 5, 2025 (3:48 pm)

Someone or business will have camera footage of this. Scum of the earth is all these people are.

wetone March 5, 2025 (4:13 pm)

Not unexpected in this city, I mean just look around, tagging is very pronounced throughout city and freeways along with the garbage. Bruce Harrell has shown his cards dealing with the many issues in this city. I don’t expect any changes while he’s in office, and if there is, it will short term till he’s re-elected. Sad deal for most all and very expensive to repair. Might get a few more sidewalks or roadways repaired with the money being spent on these issues. Little to no accountability for so much criminal behavior these days….and people wonder why taxes keep rising……

Andrew March 5, 2025 (5:26 pm)

I totally agree with you. Well said. It was said with more political correctness than what I would’ve wanted to say.

D March 5, 2025 (6:30 pm)

Why not have them apply a clear anti graffiti coating over the new mural? That way if it happens again they just pressure wash the graffiti off without harming the mural….

PeterT March 5, 2025 (7:13 pm)

This is why we can’t have nice things. I say that tongue-in-cheek, but there’s more than an element of truth to it.

Star555 March 5, 2025 (11:39 pm)

Such a beautiful mural. Happy to help clean up or with expenses.

Kevin March 6, 2025 (6:25 am)

My heart is broken after reading about the vandalizing of the bathroom at Alki and the really bad late night behavior outside of the Highpoint Branch of the Seattle Public Library. When will the City and the good people of West Seattle consider the installation of cameras and gunshot detection technology to begin to take back our beautiful and beloved community from the punks & thugs who are trying to destroy the best neighborhood in Seattle.If you don’t like my ideas, fine. Please step up and suggest another plan!

A March 6, 2025 (8:12 am)

Spray paint should be taxed $15 per can and stores should be required to keep it in locked cages. Would go a long way toward reduces these instances.

Johnny Stulic March 6, 2025 (10:20 am)

Ah, there’s nothing better than “solutions” that not only solve nothing, but actively absolve criminals for their anti-social behavior and encourage more crime by removing any consequences that are weak to begin with. Throw in an indiscriminate penalty for law-abiding users of whatever item has to be “taxed” and now you have a full picture of why crime has been steadily rising in Seattle. Can’t prosecute minors even for violent crimes because they’re young. Can’t prosecute non-minors for crimes because they’re poor. A criminal used a banana to break a window? Better tax bananas at $15 a piece and keep them in locked cages.
- A March 6, 2025 (1:05 pm)
  
  To be clear, I agree with you that it would be better to actually punish criminals for actions such as this. But in the real world that isn’t happening for a variety of reasons you note. So I’m looking for alternatives, even though they may not be ideal. We law abiding citizens are going to pay one way or another, at least by locking up the stuff and taxing we wouldn’t have so much graffiti around. Be honest- when was the last time you bought spray paint? For me it was 5 years ago when I was refinishing some patio furniture. I would be happy to have to deal with flagging down a store employee and paying a bit more every 5 years to have graffiti be much less common.
wetone March 6, 2025 (11:56 am)

??? Why should law abiding citizens have to pay more for products and dealing with the many other issues relating to criminal lawlessness? City of Seattle government is 100% fault for all this, as they won’t deal with or hold one accountable for their criminal activity. From price increases, drug activity, graffiti, garbage, shootings, robberies, then you got the driving issues, non-licensed drivers , no insurance, non-legal vehicle’s…. instead, city’s answer is to have SDOT re- design roadways add speed bumps, signage, lower speed limits and so much more that cost and impact legal law-abiding taxpayers. How about focusing on repair/update infrastructure with those monies instead ;) Retail world just raises pricing to help with loses. And people wonder why daily living cost and taxes are so expensive? Put this money into more jails and start holding people accountable for their actions, no matter who they are.

Gerry March 6, 2025 (10:20 am)

I think it is unfortunate to refer to graffiti vandals as “taggers.’ Makes it sound like it is sort of a game.I agree there are some very talented graffiti artists, and if they do a mural in a lawfully designated location, I can support that.I would take a hard prosecution line–e.g. the Alki restroom is felony level due to the monetary loss. But it also is true these people are hard to catch. So I wonder if there is anyone to engage with them. I understand that there are a couple of large organized groups. This could be a pipe dream. They might say that no, we don’t think we are damaging the community, or conversely we don’t care.I have written to the City and the newspaper The Stranger about this. Perhaps if more people did likewise—better more skilled writers than yours truly—it would have an impact. I’m not sure we are getting anywhere just posting to each other on a blog. Please consider joining in on this. Thanks.