Breck PD grapples with graffiti


BY NICOLE FORMOSA
summit daily news
October 10, 2005

Comments (0) Print Email

BRECKENRIDGE - The Breckenridge Police Department is grappling with a graffiti problem that has surfaced all over town in the past month.

Breckenridge police officer Kevin McCarthy can recall five incidents since the beginning of September that have racked up thousands of dollars worth of damage to public and private property.

"It's always late at night, always in the back alleys, so the person is definitely trying to keep it as low key as possible and painting as much as possible," McCarthy said.

McCarthy discovered a string of spray painted items Oct. 1 on Broken Lance Drive in the Warrior's Mark neighborhood.

Six electrical boxes and one Summit Daily News stand had been painted with the word "Jusmic" in white paint and in one instance, the word was written in green ink.

Two weeks prior, the owner of a 2005 Dodge Durango found the entire left side of her truck - windows and wheels included - covered in black and yellow paint with the word "Jusmic" spelled out.

The Durango had been parked overnight behind Sherpa and Yeti's at 318 S. Main Street.

A ResortQuest van has also been painted, as well as a huge wall behind the Shirt Mine at 320 S. Main Street, in the past month.

McCarthy suspects that one person or the same group of people is responsible for all the incidents because of the similar signature left behind and the same use of colors.

The police department does not know the meaning of the word "Jusmic."

McCarthy said he does not believe the graffiti is gang related.

In another possibly unrelated case, seven town of Breckenridge informational signs in the Alpine Garden behind Rita's on the 300 block of South Main Street were damaged with black ink.

Somebody wrote phrases such as "Breck cops steal" and "Breck cops steal, don't feel bad" on all the signs.

Breckenridge communications manager Kim DiLallo wasn't sure if those signs had been re-painted, but said the public works department just finished covering up graffiti inside two restrooms at the Riverwalk Center, which cost about $250.

"The bottom line is, unfortunately, those are taxpayer dollars being put toward the cleaning of the graffiti, which hurts us all," DiLallo said.

Anyone with information on the recent graffiti in Breckenridge should call the Breckenridge Police Department at (970) 453-2241, or Summit County Crime Stoppers at 1-866-453-STOP.