After organizing a community gun buyback this spring, the Tribal Council of Chiefs of the Holy Kingdom of Judah is expanding its neighborhood improvement efforts through the new Judah Graffiti Removal and Deterrent Task Force.
Created in partnership with the City of Wichita, the task force brings together tribal leaders, volunteers, businesses, churches and public safety partners to remove graffiti, improve neighborhoods and encourage community accountability.
“We’re not simply removing graffiti,” tribal leaders said. “We’re restoring communities.”
Building on Earlier Efforts
The task force grew out of a series of community initiatives led by the Holy Kingdom of Judah.
On March 30, the organization hosted a north Wichita gun buyback that collected four firearms while offering violence prevention resources, spiritual counseling, educational materials and mental health information.
Since then, volunteers have participated in neighborhood cleanups, helped businesses remove graffiti and assisted churches with property maintenance.
Organizers say every project shares the same goal: creating safer, healthier neighborhoods through community involvement.
More Than an Eyesore
Task force leaders say graffiti is more than a cosmetic problem.
Left unchecked, they believe it contributes to neighborhood decline, hurts property values, lowers community morale and can encourage additional vandalism and crime.
They also draw a distinction between public art and vandalism.
“When it destroys someone else’s property, it’s vandalism,” leaders said. “Vandalism is a crime.”
One of the group’s primary strategies is rapid graffiti removal. By repainting damaged walls quickly, leaders hope to discourage repeat offenders by denying them lasting visibility.
The approach is already gaining support. During recent cleanup projects, business owners repainted vandalized buildings while volunteers helped finish the work. Nearby property owners who saw the improvements soon requested help for their own buildings.
Accountability and Restoration
While graffiti removal is the task force’s most visible work, leaders say accountability is equally important.
The Tribal Council supports restitution, community service, rehabilitation opportunities and appropriate legal consequences for repeat offenders rather than punishment alone.
“The objective is not to punish for punishment’s sake,” one leader said. “It’s accountability that restores the community and discourages repeated harm.”
The organization has also developed a victim impact statement process for tribal members affected by community-related crimes. Those statements are submitted to the District Attorney’s Office while protecting victims’ identities and helping explain how crime affects families and neighborhoods.
Leaders cited a recent shooting in which bullets struck a tribal member’s home as an example of why stronger community partnerships and accountability remain essential.
Looking Ahead
The task force continues to build partnerships with neighborhood associations, churches, businesses and volunteers. Members recently joined the Urban League’s Juneteenth Day of Restoration, participating in beautification projects across Wichita.
Volunteer participation has grown from about 10 people to as many as 25, depending on the project.
“Peace is what people are looking for,” one leader said. “When the community begins to see positive results, more people want to become part of the solution.”
Future plans include additional neighborhood cleanups, beautification projects and exploring community chalkboards where children and teens can express their creativity legally without damaging private property.
For task force leaders, success won’t simply be measured by the number of walls repainted, but by cleaner neighborhoods, stronger partnerships, more volunteers and renewed community pride.
“Restoration requires accountability,” leaders said.
