SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : Police Form Task Force to Combat Spread of Graffiti

In an effort to crack down on graffiti vandalism in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police are forming a task force that will include law enforcement officers, city officials and representatives from the business community.

Graffiti spraying--called tagging--has received increased public attention since a 17-year-old student was shot to death last month on the Reseda High School campus, allegedly by a classmate, perhaps because of rivalry between graffiti tagging “posses.”

More than 75 people, including Los Angeles police, local officials, residents and representatives from numerous San Fernando chambers of commerce attended a meeting Wednesday at the YMCA in Van Nuys, Detective Craig Rhudy said. Included were law enforcement officials from Burbank, Glendale, the city of San Fernando and campus police from Valley colleges and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Reserve police officers and community volunteers will be asked to participate in the project by tracking down “identifiable” graffiti throughout the Valley and encouraging property owners to file crime reports, Rhudy said.