San Clemente : Council Shows Marked Distaste for Graffiti

The handwriting is on the wall for graffiti artists in San Clemente if a proposed ordinance tentatively approved by the City Council becomes law.

In a unanimous vote, the five-member council on Wednesday endorsed the measure, which would require that graffiti be erased from private property if it is visible to the public.

Would-be artists caught in the act would be forced to remove their handiwork themselves, but if the culprits cannot be found, property owners would have to eradicate the graffiti at their own expense.

The ordinance would also ban the sale of spray paint and dye to minors and prohibit anyone from possessing spray paint while at public parks, playgrounds or other recreational facilities.

Acting Police Chief Bob McDonell said the measure is preventive in nature, pointing out that there is no proliferation of graffiti in the city now. But because “graffiti breeds more graffiti,” he said, such a law is needed to ensure its prompt removal.