Westminster to Consider Tougher Anti-Graffiti Law

Continuing its aggressive anti-graffiti campaign, this city has proposed a new ordinance that would raise the reward for information leading to the arrest of a vandal from $200 to $250, with an additional $750 if the information leads to conviction.

The ordinance will go before the City Council for action on Tuesday. “We hope the reward will help to get those guys watching each other and squealing on each other,” Mayor Charles V. Smith said.

The reward is now $200 for information leading to conviction, and Smith said many people have been reluctant to divulge information because they could not remain anonymous. The new ordinance would allow informants to remain unidentified and still receive $250 if the information leads to arrest.

The ordinance, which city officials developed after looking at anti-graffiti laws countywide, would also impose a $1,000 penalty on convicted vandals.

The city is also considering measures to force convicted vandals to clean up graffiti, as well as a measure to fine the parents of vandals or force the parents to do community service.

“We want to make parents face up to the fact that they’re responsible,” Smith said. “Right now, we can only give the minors a slap on the wrist.”

The city might also consider a provision in the ordinance setting a deadline on private-property owners who are willing to clean graffiti off their buildings. Currently, the city takes responsibility for the removal of graffiti. But some property owners who want to clean the graffiti themselves wait weeks or months to do so.

Last year, the city spent $105,000 in graffiti removal, and in 1991 spent $50,000, according to city Redevelopment Director Don Anderson.

“That doesn’t mean there was a 100% increase,” he said. “We just launched a more aggressive anti-graffiti campaign and made a more concerted effort to eradicate it.”

Anderson said, however, that there has been a marked increase in “tagging” graffiti as opposed to gang-related graffiti.

“For years graffiti was gang-related, and occurred only in specific areas of gang territory,” Anderson said. “It was concentrated, and we knew where it was.

“Taggers are not interested in territory. They’re out to get their symbols up anywhere they can, and they do it everywhere--on freeways, lampposts, signal arms, stop signs, mailboxes, buildings. It is more of a problem from a cost and eradication standpoint.”

The Orange County chiefs of police and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department have produced a video explaining “tagging” graffiti. The video will be shown on cable television and in schools and service clubs.