Ida Legnermark often crosses the open wall at Magasinsgatan on the way to the Left Party party room. It was she who pushed the issue of creating the wall. And she likes what she sees.

- There are almost always people there and painting new works of art.

Disputed wall

The wall was disputed even before it was inaugurated in the fall of 2017. Critics said that graffiti creates more illegal scribbles. And when the decision was made, the idea was to later evaluate the wall. If the scrap had increased, the question of closing the wall would be taken up by the city council.

Already in October last year SVT could tell that the scribble in Borås had increased. From 197 reported crimes in 2017 to 318 reported crimes in 2018.

Want to close the wall

Annette Carlson from the Moderates lives in Norrby and walks past the wall several times a week. But she has come to a completely different conclusion. She thinks the wall should be closed.

- Because that wall has led to increased scribbling due to the municipality's failure to fulfill its commitments. Prevention has not been done to prevent scribbling. And scribbles have not been removed within 24 hours. If there is one thing scribbling comes more and scribbling.

Set the spread

Tomas Stakeberg Jansson is the local police area manager in Borås. For the police, it is a matter of adhering to the political decision.

- Graffiti in the designated place we have no problems with. But we think we have seen a certain spread effect. We can see that tags that appeared near the graffiti wall also appeared in other places. But we can't say that it depends on the graffiti wall.

The police work against scribbles will now continue together with the property owners and the municipality.

- We have relatively recently arrested people who have done such damage. But they did not come from Borås, says Tomas Stakeberg Jansson.

Do not want to confuse the issues

According to the municipality's investigation, it is impossible not to make absolute connections between the scrap of Borås and the legal graffiti wall. Ida Legnemark (V) regrets that the issue of the wall has been linked to scribbles and damage.

- For my part, the questions do not belong together. I think it is sad that the issue has not become a cultural policy issue. That the issue has not been discussed on the basis of the possibility of free non-commercial creation.

But what do you think about the scribble increased?

- I'm the first regret that the scribble has increased. But that's a question you have to work on individually. There is no one who can demonstrate an exact relationship between the wall and the damage.