Graffiti problem spirals into big issue

TEMECULA: City officials are worried about the rise in costs to remove the markings.


10:00 PM PDT on Sunday, August 27, 2006

By TIM O'LEARY
The Press-Enterprise


TEMECULA - Although graffiti removal costs continue to climb, Temecula officials will stick with their game plan of extra police patrols and dispatching crews to quickly cover the intrusive ink and spray paint.

Officials might also use surveillance cameras and motion-activated lawn sprinklers to discourage vandals from targeting surfaces. They also might examine programs aimed at steering taggers into arts projects and programs.

In the first seven months of this year, the city has spent $155,046 to remove graffiti from walls, fences, bridges and other surfaces. At that rate, Temecula is on track to set another spending record for removal services, officials said

"That's a scary number and I don't want to see it get out of hand," City Councilman Chuck Washington said last week in a review of the growing problem. Other council members expressed similar concerns.

Last year, the city set a record for graffiti removal by spending $183,142.75. In doing so, the city covered almost 74,800 square feet of defaced surfaces. The square footage nearly tripled and the cost nearly quadrupled 2004's levels.

Much of the graffiti is gang-related, but some is done by youths or young adults who are bored, frustrated or angry, police said during the council review.

"There is no quick fix," police Chief Mitch Alm said afterward. "It's a multi-dimensional problem."

He said it can be difficult to arrest taggers because extensive surveillance is needed and one person can cause extensive damage.

City and school officials are trying to measure the scope of Temecula's gang problem. A task force has been formed, and a meeting was held Thursday afternoon to chart the results so far and examine other potential steps.

The city's policy calls for crews to respond to graffiti reports within a 24-hour period.

The city often beats that removal target, said Ruth Hobbs, executive director of the Arts Council of Temecula Valley.

Hobbs and some other speakers at the graffiti discussion encouraged the city to study programs similar to those implemented in New York, Boston, Chicago and other large cities where taggers are encouraged to vent their artistic talents through classes, government-sponsored murals or other projects.

"I would greatly encourage that," Alm said.

Mayor Ron Roberts said his graffiti concerns have escalated because the prevalence seems to be increasing along Interstate 215 between Murrieta and Riverside. Some of that graffiti has an artistic flair, but it is unknown whether arts programs would prove to be much of a deterrent if they are implemented in Temecula, he said.

"It's really hard to say," Roberts said after the council discussion. "We're keeping up with it, but it's costing us more money than it ever has."

Reach Tim O'Leary at 951-375-3733 or toleary@pe.com