The Urbana Police Department is investigating the graffiti painting at Hendrick House, 904 W. Green St., Urbana, which can still be found on its walls.

One officer from the investigations department has been assigned to the case, but there are no direct leads on any suspects.

Lieutenant Robert Fitzgerald said it is frustrating because it is a lose-lose situation for both the police and the community.

“It takes man-hours. It takes police away from other things they can be doing,” Fitzgerald said. “I know some people think it might be fun, but other people feel victimized by this because they’re the ones who have to go out and clean.”

The two removal options in this case are either using a paint stripper or sandblasting, which removes material by using a high-pressure blast of steam or air. According to Becky Rowe, general manager at Hendrick House, the graffiti will remain on the walls for at least a month due to weather. Staff is cautious about acting too quickly, she said.

“We don’t want chemicals and paint to clog the draining capability of the concrete walls,” Rowe said. “I’m not sure if it’s going to sink in.”

In addition, the graffiti is above the heating and cooling units, which might involve temporarily shutting down the systems at the inconvenience of residents during the winter.

As for the costs, the numbers are still up in the air, but Rowe said she believes they will be high. The house is budgeting to pay them from the general fund, which would indirectly affect student programs such as parties.

“That doesn’t sound very fair to the residents in Hendrick House. (The Urbana Police Department) should find who did it and make them pay for it,” said Ashwin Ugale, Hendrick House resident and junior in Engineering.

However, some residents, including Joel Van Der Woude, junior in Engineering, have taken a different approach to the act of vandalism.

“Looking closer you can also see that a gash has been torn open in his left eyebrow causing his thick blue blood to come streaming out. Clearly Jeno (the figure in the graffiti) is in some sort of danger,” Van Der Woude wrote in his interpretation of the graffiti.

This was part of an initiative by Rowe and the staff to turn a crime into a contest. While this has turned into an educational experience for some residents, Rowe said there is no place for graffiti on the walls of a building.

“I wish the artists would find a better way to express their creativity,” Rowe said. “It’s not something we want to keep on our building.”