Posted 5/3/04 10:45 p.m.
Updated 5/4/04 9:12 a.m.
When you think of graffiti, spray paint designs come to mind. But now another product is being used, that's even more damaging.
"Liquid etching is a chemical process that's used by mainly graffiti taggers, which is a whole subculture of vandals that are using graffiti to gain notoriety and publicity for themselves," says Rockford Police Sergeant Michael Booker.
The police department says the vast majority of graffiti is done with spray paint, but liquid etching often causes more expensive property damage.
"Spray paint is easily removed through products you can buy over the counter," Booker says. "We could remove that or we could paint over it. Etching is not."
Now the police are turning to the city for help in stopping this type of graffiti. And since Rockford is no longer a home rule community, the city council had to pass a resolution Monday night to ask the state legislature for authority to regulate the sale of liquid etching products.
"What we're looking for is that they might some day write down a name, request some ID, something along those lines, when someone comes along to buy this product," Booker says.
Police say regulating the sale of liquid etching is a much more realistic goal than trying to regulate the sale of spray paint.
"The liquid etching is much more controllable as a product because liquid etching is sold by specialty shops and spray paint is sold virtually anywhere," Booker says.
Some liquid etching products are already regulated with an age limit, but council members say that's not enough.
"We may want them to put it into a glass enclosure or locked type of display so they can't be stolen," says Alderman John Becker.
Council members say if the city is given authority to regulate the sale of liquid etching products, it would like to see surrounding communities follow its lead.