Newport News neighborhood tires of graffiti

04:46 PM EST on Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Reported by: Velma Scaife
A condo community in the Central Precinct of Newport News is seeing colors on their property, sprayed there by taggers.

The Homeowners Association president at San Francisco Condominiums says if vandals are not knocking boards out of the fence, they’re spray-painting graffiti on it and other property.

“I don’t want my grandchildren when they come over to have to be afraid to come out my door, and then they have to come over here and read derogatory crap written on the fencing,” said resident Lovely Ofori.

Angry residents say their association fees can be put to better use than fixing up what's being deliberately destroyed. The black spray-paint with bits of red, white and blue peppered their property this week.

“Pretty soon, it’ll get on the building, and when it gets on the building, you’re talking about some real expenses there,” said Chris Juliano. “They’re basically just getting more courageous as time goes by.”

Police say that though gang-related graffiti in Newport News has leveled off, taggers seem busier than ever.

The problem seems to be worse in the Central Precinct area, but people also say they’ve seen an increase in the arrest of the Picasso wannabes.

“We need to be able to live peacefully,” said Ofori. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to see this.”

Ed Batchelor lives near the condos, and said he is tired of his fence acting as a graffiti magnet.

“I’m going through painting over it. It’s ugly,” he said.

Police told 13News Wednesday afternoon they had some promising leads on the suspects responsible for the graffiti in the Lester Road area.