Employees of the Copper Kettle restaurant are disappointed after someone tagged the memorial of Robert Gardikiotis with graffiti.

"It cuts you a little bit just because you'd think people would understand," said Destiny Slobodian, general manager of the Copper Kettle.

The graffiti on the memorial, on the side of the restaurant, has since been removed, but staff are disappointed someone would vandalize a memorial meant to honour their founder.

"We wanted to show how grateful we are for this amazing business that we now call our home on a regular basis," said Slobodian.

The Regina Police Service said from Jan. 1 to June 13, 2017, reports of graffiti decreased by 45 per cent compared to the same period in 2016. But while the number of reports are down, that doesn't mean the amount of graffiti is. Anyone found responsible for graffiti can be charged with mischief.

"If people record it and report it, we have an opportunity to link several files and, when we do find someone who is responsible, we get to clear 30 or 40 files at once," said Regina Police Service spokesperson Elizabeth Popowich.

Roy Diering of Action Sewer and Drain, said they've never been busier when it comes to removing graffiti and says no neighborhood is immune to it.

"We try to do it sometimes early in the morning or after hours when they’re not going to notice that somebody is there taking it off.” Diering said.

Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood has taken a different approach to street art. They commission artists to spray paint murals to add to the look of the neighbourhood.

"Whether you're driving past or walking past, you get a sense of who we are in this neighbourhood, and who we are in this city and this province,” said Margaret Bessai of the Cathedral Community Association.

“It's just reflected in the colour choices, in the stories we're telling on our buildings."

But Slobodian believes it takes the entire community to end the unwanted spray paint.

"I think that it takes a village to stop this problem, it's not something that's just affecting us," said Slobodian.