San Fernando Council Acts Against Graffiti

In an effort to stem vandalism and gang activity, the San Fernando City Council has tentatively approved an ordinance banning the sale of spray paint to minors and authorizing the city to remove graffiti from private property.

Council members Monday night unanimously ordered the city staff to include in the ordinance a provision requiring store owners to keep spray paint in locked cabinets, said interim City Administrator Michael A. Graziano. Final approval of the ordinance is expected March 19.

“There is no social redeeming value to graffiti,” said Councilman James Hansen. “It sends out a negative message about our community. Now, we’re sending a message to vandals that deface property. We’re going to get tough.”

The ordinance will prohibit the possession of spray cans in public places, parks and buildings by people of any age and makes the spraying of graffiti on any private or public structure a misdemeanor.

It will permit the city to remove graffiti from either public or private property and to bill a property owner for the expense.

The ordinance will allow the city to offer rewards to people who provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction of graffiti writers. No reward amounts have been determined.

Yet to be worked out are penalties for violating the anti-graffiti law, Graziano said.

Hansen said graffiti have been a growing problem in San Fernando.

“Last year, we paid $20,000 to a private contractor to paint over graffiti,” he said. “We also had a couple of volunteer groups going out almost every week to remove it.”

Graziano said city officials realize that the proposed law is not the entire answer.

“We don’t want to approach this just from a punitive standpoint,” he said. “This has to be a community responsibility. The city sends crews out daily to paint over graffiti. But we’re still going to need a lot of help from volunteers.”

The city has graffiti-removal equipment that it will loan to property owners, he said.

Hansen said the proposed ordinance is patterned after similar ones enacted by several cities and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.