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A Clean Slate: How MID Ambassadors Tackle Graffiti in Downtown
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On an abnormally bright early-November afternoon, Downtown Seattle Association/Metropolitan Improvement District Supervisor Marcus Quesnell stood in an alleyway near the corner of Bell Street and Sixth Avenue, unloading a pressure washer with a masonry-safe cleaning solution from his truck.
Not long before, a downtown property manager had called the MID to report that someone had tagged their brick wall with graffiti. The MID typically receives around eight of these calls a week.Ā
By the time Quesnell finished, the brick wall that had been coated in spray paint gleamed clean again. He snapped an after-photo ā to pair with the before shot he grabbed ā and sent it to the ratepayer who requested the removal.
āI call it the magic eraser,ā he said with a smile, watching the colors melt under the hot water. āSeeing the before and after ā itās huge for me. Someone made a mess, and I get to help fix it.ā
Addressing the problem
MID ambassadors remove graffiti daily from public and private property across the 300-block business-improvement area: from Denny Way to Pioneer Square and from I-5 to the waterfront.Ā
āGraffiti reports have definitely become more frequent in recent years,ā DSA/MID Director of Cleaning Services Steven Walls said. āOur ambassadors respond quickly because we know how much it matters to businesses, residents and everyoneās sense of safety and pride in their neighborhood.āĀ
From June through October, MID Clean Team ambassadors removed 22,951 graffiti tags and stickers ā a number Walls calls āboth staggering and motivating.ā That number sat at 45,318 between January and November 2025, with December’s total still being tallied.
āThis team shows up every day with a commitment thatās second to none,ā he said.
For Quesnell, this work is more than cleaning walls, itās a deeply personal transformation story.Ā
āI was a wreck before in my life,ā he said. āI was one of those guys on Third Avenue doing the things theyāre doing. I was able to learn a lot after that when I was incarcerated, though. And doing this for people downtown really makes me feel good.āĀ
Quesnell joined MID nearly two years ago, quickly earning promotions to assistant supervisor and eventually supervisor.Ā
āIāve gotten so many emails saying thank you,ā he said. āWhen I get a graffiti referral, I schedule it as soon as possible. Ratepayers really appreciate that, and that makes me feel good about the work Iām doing.ā
When asked if the graffiti-removal work was meditative, Quesnell paused to think.Ā
“I never really thought about that before,” he said. “But it is meditative, actually. It can be very calming.āĀ
‘It makes such a difference’
At a second stop that same afternoon ā an alley near First Avenue and Broad Street ā Quesnell met Suzanne Spalding, facilities and operations manager for a luxury high-rise condominium. Someone had tagged the building a few days earlier and Spalding called MID for help.
āIāve been here 12 years, and weāve spent a lot of blood, sweat and tears trying to get graffiti off,ā she said. āWe pay for these services, but I hadnāt realized how much MID offers ā even sidewalk power washing.ā
Her building has more than 200 residential units, and only one full-time maintenance worker.Ā
“Having the help of the MID frees up my maintenance guy to do what he needs to do,ā she said. āWe want to keep the building well maintained for the people who live here. Iām happy for the help ā and happy to keep paying for these services if this is what it provides. It makes such a difference.ā
A clean slate for downtown
Beyond graffiti, the 160 MID ambassadors ā the largest team DSA/MID has ever employed ā tackle an enormous daily workload to keep downtown clean and welcoming:Ā
- 1,148,660 gallons of trash collected through November ā enough to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools
- 105 people administered naloxone (Narcan) by MID ambassadors and private security officers in 2025, through November
- 35,677 times in 2025, through November, concierge directions or transit assistance was provided by Community Safety & Hospitality ambassadors
āThe scale of what these crews take on is incredible,ā said Joseph Jacobs, DSA/MID senior manager, cleaning program. “But they treat every single call ā from a small sticker to a complicated paint-out ā with the same level of pride and service. Resolving graffiti downtown is not just a job to them, itās a mission.āĀ
Jacobs said graffiti removal has become one of the most visible and appreciated services MID offers.
āWhen ratepayers see an ambassador show up so quickly, it builds trust,ā he said. āIt reminds people that theyāre not alone in caring for downtown.ā
āI really love working with ratepayers,ā Quesnell added. āRemoving graffiti helps make their businesses look presentable and welcoming. It brings people in. Thatās what itās all about.ā
For someone who once struggled in downtown, Quesnell now helps shape its future ā one fresh start at a time. And with ambassadors like him on the streets every day, downtown gets a fresh start, too.