Long Beach tags pro crew for graffiti cleanup
Private group will be more efficient than current program, according to city.
By Mira Jang, Staff writer
Article Launched:11/15/2006 10:44:51 PM PST


LONG BEACH - Professionals will clean up graffiti on private property starting this month, and the city will study ways to improve its Graffiti Abatement Program by looking at how other cities handle the eyesore strewn across communities.
At a Tuesday workshop, the City Council listened to a city staff presentation on the program and recent changes in how it is administered. On Nov. 1, the Community Development Department took over the bulk of the job of managing the program, including the graffiti hotline, public education, and the free paint voucher program. Previously, Public Works, which still oversees graffiti cleanups on public property and public rights-of-way, was primarily in charge.

The change also includes the city's hiring professional cleanup crews to scour the city in search of graffiti, which they are expected to remove immediately rather than waiting for a complaint.

"It's going to make a significant difference. They'll be working three times as fast," Assistant City Manager Christine Shippey said. "You're going to see paint that matches, more graffiti that's removed. We will get more productive, we'll have greater quality and reach more sites."

Shippey said the decision came

after months of deliberation on how to make the program more efficient. Prior to the change, people sentenced to community service cleaned up graffiti without pay. Hiring professionals for the job will not cost the city more money, Shippey said, because the new costs are offset by the elimination of prior needs, such as vans and staff to oversee volunteers.
The city will continue its efforts to improve the program by conducting an internal study within a month or two to find out how other cities curb graffiti, Shippey said.

The program's budget increased to $939,000 for fiscal year 2007 from $903,000 for fiscal year 2006. In fiscal year 2006, the city removed 97,707 graffiti tags.

The Graffiti Hotline number is (562) 570-2773.

Mira Jang can be reached at mira.jang@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1278