Question: How long can I expect before the city or its designee removes graffiti from the downtown location that I reported? Graffiti continues to expand on the concrete road-separation barrier that is at approximately the Ewa end of Halekauwila Street and the makai end of Richards Street. The city’s webpage states vague information that seems to imply that it will pass on information to some unknown person at some unknown point in the future without firmly explaining how or when to expect a result. Obviously, I write to you because I received no response, and the graffiti remains two weeks later.

Answer: It can take four to six weeks to remove graffiti, according to the city, which referred your complaint to the responsible property owner, the state Department of Transportation’s Highways Division, Oahu District.

Kokua Line receives many complaints about graffiti on Oahu, and there are several ways to report it.

You submitted your complaint via the email form on the Honolulu Police Department’s “Graffiti Hotline” website, 808ne.ws/hpdgra, which allows the public to report graffiti on private or public property by phone (723-3475) or online (as you did).

Complaints are referred to district patrol commands for action, which, among other things, involves alerting the property owner for cleanup. The HPD hotline also is a contact point for people who want to make a police report about graffiti vandalism.

For those focused on graffiti removal, rather than vandalism prosecution, reporting via the Honolulu 311 app may be quicker. You can download the app to your Apple or Android mobile device, or use it from a website. Find more information at 808ne.ws/311hpd.

The 311 app is preferred because it generates precise complaints and its automated routing process is efficient, said Ross Sasamura, director of the city Department of Facility Maintenance.

The process “integrates existing workflow software in the DFM to improve efficiency and minimize delay. Use of existing telephone ‘hot lines’ are more familiar to people, but may require multiple people entering and routing issues until (a complaint) is delivered to a work crew for resolution,” he said. “The city is actively improving service response and delivery using technology when and where possible. The 311 app will expand to integrate more issues of concern as provisions are developed.”

For voice calls, the city’s graffiti hotline (768-5180) remains in operation, as does its general concern line (768-4381). Be concise and precise in describing the problem and location, and include your contact information.

The phone lines are intended for concerns about city property, but the city will refer complaints, since people might not know who owns an affected site. “Reports will be directed to the appropriate authority, agency or property owner. However, please understand that the routing process and response by the responsible party is the cause for the extended time before mitigation,” Sasamura said. From initial report to graffiti eradication can take four to six weeks, he said.

Another option: “It is often quicker and more effective for communities or volunteer groups to adopt a specific location or area to help eradicate graffiti or address other matters of concern,” he said. “The Department of Facility Maintenance has multiple programs (Malama O Ka Aina, Adopt-A-Block, and Adopt-A-Stream) which may be used by volunteers to eradicate graffiti and/or other issues of concern (litter, illegal dumping, etc.). Interested people and groups may contact the DFM at 768-3343 for more information on how they may help improve the communities where they live, work, or play.”

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.