City hoping to step up war against graffiti
Carrie Watters
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 23, 2007 12:00 PM

Some vandals proclaim undying love in spray paint, while others etch expletives that could make a grown man blush.

The nuisance requires a team of city employees called the "Graffiti Busters."

The Glendale unit has grown from a one-man show 10 years ago to three full-time employees with a proposal to add a fourth in the fall to expand service to seven days a week.

The crew expects to sand, scrub and paint away about 15,000 instances of graffiti from city property this year.

It's a problem that just keeps on growing with Glendale's population, said Stuart Kent, the city's field operations director.

Battling graffiti also got recent help from state lawmakers, who upped fines for juveniles who are caught in the act. Youngsters under 18 who are convicted of graffiti vandalism can expect to fork over between $540 and $1,800.

City Councilwoman Yvonne Knaack has the Graffiti Busters' number - (623) 930-3080 - on her speed dial. Knaack, a downtown business owner, is a daily caller.

"It's that broken window theory," she said. "If you don't stay atop of it, it just gets worse and worse."

The hotline gives callers the option of leaving an address or being redirected to the Police Department if it's a work in progress.

The majority of the city's graffiti removal efforts come from citizen reports. The team works full-time to remove graffiti from public property within 48 hours. That sends a message that graffiti is not acceptable, Kent said.

That doesn't mean the problem has eased.

City workers removed 11,085 incidents of graffiti in the 2004-05 budget year and expect that to climb to 15,000 in the current year, Kent said.

Next door in Phoenix, cleanups increased to 65,000 sites at a cost of $1.2 million.

Glendale's smaller program was expected to total $230,000 this year.

The cost could climb closer to $300,000 in the 2007-08 budget if a fourth person is added to expand the program from five to seven days per week.

The expansion is one option the City Council may consider this fall if voters approve a hike in the public safety sales tax, which would free up some money in the general fund, Kent said.

Knaack encourages citizens to call the hotline, which is anonymous, anytime they see graffiti.

Although the city employees only clean public property, Knaack also urges fellow business owners to follow suit.

She keeps a can of white spray paint on hand in her downtown insurance office to clean graffiti off her dumpster. Three times, her actual building has been struck.

The councilwoman admits it makes her mad because it shows a lack of respect for others' property. Still, she encourages business owners to keep up the fight.

"It helps the whole community if everyone pitches in and takes care of their own property," she said.



Reach the reporter at (602) 444-6934.