Spray Paint Banned at Swap Meets
In a crackdown on graffiti, the Gardena City Council on Tuesday night banned the sale of spray paint at swap meets and agreed to investigate whether other businesses are violating state law by selling the cans to minors.
Gardena requires that spray cans be placed in locked storage spaces to restrict access. But city officials, in proposing the ban, said open-air markets have not been able to comply because all their goods are openly displayed.
“Why direct this at the swap meets?” complained Stanley Chefitz, who has been selling spray paint and other goods at swap meets for more than 30 years. Chefitz said the ordinance could cut his sales in half.
The city reported that 297,655 square feet of graffiti were removed from city property in the first six months of this year. Police Chief Richard Propster, who recommended the ordinance, said swap meets are the source of much of the spray paint used by vandals.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
