But is it art?
A key part of working in communications is establishing connections with our audiences so that we can begin conversations.
We establish connections to show that we have similar aims and passions, we think along the same lines and we are approachable.
With this in mind, police in Devon have daubed a station with graffiti in a bid to identify with young people in the communities they serve.
Giving props to hip hop, street savvy officers are pictured wearing their peaked caps sideways (one sticks out his tongue) in the specially commissioned mural.
But does this communicate the right message?
On one hand it may just make officers more approachable to local youths who feel that the police have embraced a part of their culture. It is possible that it will make some people think of graffiti in a different way.
On the other hand it could be viewed as a costly gaff – at the taxpayers’ expense - which reduces respect in officers and insults the youth audience it is trying to communicate with.
Whatever you think, it is an incredibly bold move, which has attracted national coverage – therefore certainly putting the Devon force on the map.
Importantly it also goes to show the increasing diverse ways in which organisations are seeking to communicate with their target audiences. The police graffiti may divide public opinion and it may alienate more people than it seeks to embrace – but it has certainly started a conversation.