It is a common sight you might see around Vancouver’s Chinatown — graffiti littered or sprayed across the shutters and walls of local businesses.

“It’s an awful feeling. It ruins the appearance of Chinatown. Like it’s so messy and all over the place,” says Ellen Lin, manager of Hang Loong Herbal Products.

“We don’t have the time or resources to clean it up. If you clean it up tonight, they’ll come back tomorrow.”

But could the solution to rampant vandalism be more paint?

Project Muralize is the brainchild of Vancouver Police Department (VPD) constable Freddy Lau, who felt inspired when he visited other Chinatowns around the world.

Lau is a Diversity Liaison Officer at the VPD.

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