La Puente considers undercover tactic to tame taggers
By Sang Lee, Staff Writer



LA PUENTE - Council members will decide this month if they will use undercover officers to try to crack down on taggers plaguing the city.

On Aug. 8, the City Council approved a recommendation by Councilwoman Lola Storing to have the sheriff's Industry Station determine if a surveillance program would be cost-effective. The report is expected to be presented to them this month.

"We have a graffiti problem and a lot of people don't know about it," Councilman John Solis said. "It causes a lot of problems like shootings and deaths."

Solis said certain areas were known for being repeatedly vandalized. He believes the undercover program may decrease the city's financial burden on maintenance to transfer more of its general fund money into community-related services.

However, Industry Lt. Al Garcia predicted the program would not be economic.

"Those types of operations are a waste of money. \ already paying for special service officers," he said.

The Special Enforcement Team consists of one sergeant and three deputies, who unlike area-covering patrol officers, are required to take service calls and enforce public safety within La Puente city limits.

"How successful \ will be is still a question mark," said Sgt. Giles Wright, who is in charge of the enforcement squad.

"It really depends on where the taggers will be that night. It's hard to say. It's a hit or miss. Surveillance is just waiting."

The city spends $125,000 annually for labor and supplies for its graffiti abatement program, said Community Services Director Rozanne Adanto. The program supplies the city's maintenance department with paints and equipment to remove graffiti within 24 hours.

"If vandals put the graffiti

up and we just clean it up for them, we are enablers," Storing said. "We need special programs to get rid of graffiti. It's a damper to the city."

The city's incentive policy rewards residents who report tagging by giving the tipster $500 for information that leads to an arrest. But that program has resulted in no arrests since it started two years ago.

The sheriff's station's report will also address alternative measures in preventing graffiti. City Manager Hal Ledford said surveillance cameras may be placed on light posts, which may be periodically moved.

"If we put cameras on light posts, the bad guys will figure it out and go to a different location," Ledford said. "We have to do it in a surreptitious manner and consider moving cameras."

La Puente implemented an undercover program during the weeks leading up to Independence Day this year to combat illegal fireworks, and Sgt. Wright said 412 arrests were made.

But, Councilman Lou Perez said he has reservations about using undercover officers to try to spot taggers.

"To me, it doesn't seem like a good idea," Perez said. "To have people waiting out there a long time, I don't know if it's feasible because of the cost and so forth. We just have to turn this over to the sheriff's department."

sang.lee@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2393