Business owners say they want offenders to understand how graffiti affects them, and they hope taggers will think twice before marking buildings.

"It would teach them the effect of what has to happen when something happens like that. Do you paint the whole building? What does it cost? How long does it take?" said Connie Lorenz, spokeswoman for the Olympia Downtown Association, which represents merchants.

The ODA is turning this latest idea for combating graffiti into a proposal for probation and court officials to consider.

"Having a clean, good-looking neighborhood is very important for people to feel safe," said Chris Gowdey, who owns Wind Up Here, a childrens' store. "There's a variety of different kinds of projects we see a continual need for downtown."

One of the men who was arrested last month on suspicion of spray painting an alley off Fourth Avenue has agreed to participate in the association's annual cleanup April 17, Lorenz said.

Graffiti is considered malicious mischief and a misdemeanor. The typical punishment for a first-time offender is a suspended sentence, a $400 fine and monetary restitution to the victim, said Paul Wohl, city prosecutor. The court order doesn't usually include cleaning up graffiti. Four people have been arrested for downtown graffiti since Jan. 1, said Olympia police Lt. Bill Wilson.

Citywide, officials spent $10,037 replacing 167 stop signs as a result of graffiti in the past three months, said Myron Henrickson, signals and signs supervisor. The city switched to signs with vandal-resistant sheeting that makes them easier to clean. They also hope it will help curb the problem.

The ODA spends $3,000 a year to hire and equip a part-time worker to paint over graffiti. The city spends $3,600 a year on supplies for the Police Explorers unit, volunteers from the Boy Scouts, to cover up graffiti.

The police patrol division is recruiting volunteers to go out and identify the location of graffiti, then relay the information to the ODA and Explorers. Those groups would coordinate cleanup.

"We recognize a lot of time is wasted on both ends just looking for graffiti," Wilson said.