Coalition Forms Strategy to Fight Graffiti : Vandalism: Recent damage spurs community groups to devise a three-point plan. Education, communication and police visibility are the key elements.

When Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce President Bob Russell headed out for work one day recently, he was shocked at the sight that greeted him along Colorado Boulevard.

More than 30 buildings along the commercial strip had been marred the night before with spray-painted graffiti.

“It was devastating,” Russell said. “There was graffiti everywhere.”

Kenny’s, an Art Deco restaurant, was so completely covered that its owners had to repaint the building.

“For the past six months we’ve been having a problem, but this just hit us in the face,” Russell said. “All of a sudden you felt the entire reputation of the area was falling rapidly because anyone driving through that day for the first time probably figured it was a heavy gang area, which we’re not.”

Within a week, Russell had become involved with a coalition of community groups crafting a plan they hope will put an end to the graffiti problem in Eagle Rock.

Joining the chamber on the coalition are the Eagle Rock Assn., the PTA, the Kiwanis Club, North East Trees and BLEND, a support group for the LAPD’s Northeast Division.

The coalition’s first action was to mail letters of appreciation to all the business owners who promptly painted over the graffiti.

On July 8, about 75 residents attended a community meeting sponsored jointly by the coalition and Councilman Richard Alatorre to announce the plan.

The proposal focuses on three strategies. The first step is an aggressive abatement team that would immediately remove graffiti with paint that matches the exterior of each building, rather than the usual beige paint that marks a building that has been vandalized.

The second measure calls for a communitywide communication and education campaign that would include a hot line for residents to report graffiti, prevention tips and an anti-graffiti program for school-age children.

The third strategy would involve increased police visibility along the business corridor.

During the nearly two-hour meeting, citizens heard from police about their efforts to battle graffiti, and got tips on organizing the community from a Clean Sweep L.A. official and from the head of a successful anti-graffiti campaign in Sylmar.

Resident and business owner Diana O’Brand Brown drew cheers when she blasted so-called graffiti-art murals, saying the city and media should not encourage the activity.

“It’s not art,” said O’Brand Brown, who said she has painted over graffiti on her building three times in the last two weeks. “And I don’t think anyone should promote it as art. It’s illegal and it’s vandalism.”

John Miller, an Eagle Rock native and president of the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society, said he attended the meeting because he wants to help stop the problem, which appears to be getting worse.

“It’s sickening to see a town you grew up in have this happen,” he said.

After the meeting, many of those in attendance signed up to help.

“This community cares about Eagle Rock,” said native Phillip Barbaro Jr., one of the organizers. “Now the question is, are we going to get people to work and get the guidance we need from the city?”

Barbaro was among residents who tried about three years to arrange a similar group to end graffiti. But after its initial success, enthusiasm waned.

This time, however, he says he’s confident the renewed enthusiasm is sustainable.

“Two weeks ago rattled everyone’s nerves,” he said, referring to the recent graffiti rampage. “And this time we’re a lot smarter and more experienced.”