Evanston residents can now call a city hotline to get rid of unwanted “art.”

The city unveiled a graffiti hotline earlier this month, replacing a voice-mail system the city had been using, said Stan Janusz, assistant director of the Evanston Property Standards and Housing Rehabilitation Division.

“It’s a nice way to get the public to call in,” Janusz said. “And we have the ability to dedicate a second line to it.”

The city offers free graffiti-removal assistance for residents who call, Janusz said. A contractor will be sent to blast the graffiti off property, or residents can pick up free paint and supplies to cover the graffiti on their own.

Residents can call 847-448-8021 for graffiti cleanup. Cmdr. Michael Perry of Evanston Police Department said that the police should be called at 847-866-5000 if they see vandals in the act.

It will take about a month for police to know the effectiveness of the new hotline, Perry said.

“You’ve got to give it time,” he said. “We’ll have a better idea in 30 days.”

Earlier this year EPD unveiled its own initiative to fight graffiti when the department began placing hidden cameras in secret locations to photograph vandals in the act. At the time Janusz estimated that graffiti cost the city at least $60,000 a year.