‘Off the Wall’

Your article, “Getting Graffiti Off the Wall,” (July 28), is a terrific step in the right direction. As one who independently removes graffiti along Wilshire in the Miracle Mile, I applaud your effort to get the word out about the free resources and advice available to the public through the city.

However, some specific points need to be clarified. Operation Clean Sweep advised me that I should not paint any metal or concrete street lamp posts. It is best to remove the graffiti from metal surfaces with a paint solvent rather than painting over it because the color of the covering paint will never match the rest of the post.

As for the concrete posts, I use a heavy wire brush to score the graffiti because once the chemical protective layer of the graffiti paint has been removed and the weaker paint exposed to the elements it will fade with time.

So far the city has not approved any painting of concrete lamp posts. Until they do your readers should never paint over graffiti on concrete lamp posts because it actually provides subsequent vandals with a more permanent and indelible surface to deface and thus makes it impossible to remove with a wire brush.

The moral of the story: Use paint on your own house but never on public property.

SEAN McCARTHY, Los Angeles