Modesto Battles Growing Graffiti Problem
Public Urged To Report Tagging In Progress

POSTED: 10:29 am PDT September 26, 2006

MODESTO, Calif. -- The city of Modesto is dealing with a growing graffiti problem that has residents and business owners frustrated.

A freeway sign that is supposed to lead visitors to central Modesto is one of the places where vandals have struck.

"We want to welcome people from other towns, not scare them away," Modesto resident Roy Diaz said.


Diaz is trying to prevent more graffiti at a Modesto building by putting up a fence around area where taggers left their paint cans behind the last time they struck.

The city's graffiti abatement crew is asking for the public's help in the fight against taggers, and said they're seeing more markings every month.

"This will be done and tonight this whole wall will be tagged again and we'll be back out here tomorrow, so with a timely call to police we can get some arrests while they're in the act. That's the key," city of Modesto spokesman John Brusca said.

In a north Modesto neighborhood, where crews clean up graffiti nearly every day, officials have been taking pictures of the markings left by taggers. Authorities said the idea is to possibly charge those responsible with the entire cost of cleanup.