Graffiti is a reoccurring problem


By Wendy Miller. Independent Newspapers
Tony Piraino wants to make one thing perfectly clear. The people who create graffiti are not artists, nor are they "taggers." They're vandals.

"Graffiti vandalism costs $15 million a year nationwide that could be used for more worthwhile services. It wastes $35 billion worldwide," said Mr. Piraino, president and founder of the Northwest Block Watch Coalition, Inc.

His company partners with local law enforcement agencies to eradicate graffiti. The Paradise Valley police force has kept him busy lately with a recent spate of incidents in the central and southern parts of the Town. They include:

l On Nov. 17, letters were found spray-painted in blue paint on a utility pole along the Arizona Canal near 32nd Street and Stanford Drive.

l On Nov. 11, four traffic signs were spray-painted, defaced and damaged near a home under construction in the 6600 block of E. Cactus Wren Place. The homeowner believes the damage is related to another incident that took place between Sept. 24 and Sept. 26, when someone entered his construction site and spray-painted the word "zero" on the on-site construction trailer.

l On Nov. 8, residents in the La Place subdivision found blue and black lettering and undecipherable symbols spray-painted in their wash in the 6500 block of N. Invergordon Road.

In the latter instance, Mr. Piraino spent two hours painting over the 500 square feet of wash covered with graffiti. The cost for his time and the latex paint averages $1 per square foot. It is paid for by donations to his non-profit organization.

Mr. Piraino's goal is to cover up the vandalized surfaces within 24 to 48 hours.

"It discourages vandals from returning because they know the area is being watched," he explained.

He uses a specialized Kodak digital camera with a global positioning system built in to pinpoint graffiti locations. It comes in handy when evidence is needed in court.

"Places, like the wash behind La Place, don't have addresses. The GPS gives us the exact location within 2 feet," Mr. Piraino said.

Based on comparisons to graffiti symbols provided by the Phoenix Police Department, Paradise Valley police Officer Rick Cookemboo does not believe the last few incidents in PV were committed by gangs.

He believes they are the work of young males, who use graffiti to express themselves and "tag" their territory with their individual artwork or identifier. The practice has earned them the nickname "taggers."

Each incident should be taken seriously because they could mark the area as a future site for parties or drug deals, Officer Cookemboo explained.

"It's amazing how quickly they can read the message in the graffiti and how fast the news spreads," he said.

There have been eight incidents of graffiti reported so far this year: one in January, one in June, two in August, one in September and three in November. That's twice as many as 2004, when graffiti was reported once in each of four months: June, August, September and December, according to PV Asst. Chief Larry Scott.

People who observe the taggers at work should call the PVPD at (480) 948-7418 during regular business hours or (480) 948-7410 after hours and on weekends. The 911 emergency line should be reserved for life- or safety-threatening emergencies only, Officer Cookemboo said.

Residents who want to remain anonymous can call the Graffiti Hotline at (602) 262-7327. They will be issued a reference number they can use to call back and obtain information about how the case in evolving.

The hotline has received more than 41,500 calls since it was established in 1995. Of those, 1,146 have resulted in arrests.

The vandals are typically teens, but Phoenix police have encountered taggers ranging in age from 10 to 45 years of age. Right now, Phoenix police are on the look-out for tagging crews composed of 35- and 40-year-olds.

Arizona has cracked down on the vandals. According to state statutes, parents are liable for up to $10,000 per incident if their child is convicted of graffiti. In addition, judges can suspend the juvenile's driving privileges.

In addition, the criminal record of a convicted graffiti artist will not be expunged when they turn 18, Mr. Piraino noted.

For more information, call the Graffiti Hotline at (602) 262-7327 or the PVPD at (480) 948-7410. The Northwest Block Watch Coalition has a Web site, www.nwbwc.org, but it has had online problems. Mr. Piraino hopes to have the site back up and running soon.