Crackdown on Graffiti Yields 240 Arrests : Vandalism: Santa Ana’s multiagency program has cut tagging 15% to 20%, police say.

Police have made nearly 240 graffiti arrests in the city so far this year as a result of a crackdown on taggers, police announced Friday.

A sharp increase in vandalism that began late last year prompted the formation of the Tagging Enforcement Program, which involves the Police Department, schools, neighborhood associations and the city.

“In October, a number of TV shows dealt with graffiti, Lt. Michael Foote said. “We think this made kids aware of a type of activity (through which) they could gain social recognition.”

In March, 75 people had been arrested on suspicion of tagging, contrasted with an average of 10 per month for 1992.

The crackdown has three phases: prevention, removal and prosecution, city officials said.

To help prevent graffiti, the Santa Ana Unified School District plans to introduce a course on the subject. In addition, officers will remind merchants that it is illegal to sell spray paint and markers to anyone under 18. The Santa Ana City Council is considering a law requiring store owners to keep paint and markers where they cannot easily be seen.

“Our study has shown that most of these containers are leaving the shops through theft,” Foote said.

The second phase of the program seeks to have graffiti removed quickly. In November, Public Works Agency employees were working seven days a week to do that, Foote said. Police said word about the new enforcement program has spread in the streets, helping to reduce graffiti by 15% to 20%. This week, they said, the public works employees were able to return to a five-day schedule.

Parents are also being held responsible for their children’s tagging. Parents who can not afford fines can share their children’s community service hours. Those who can afford the fines but refuse to pay can be sued in civil court for as much as $3,000 for each offense, Foote said.

“Most parents are totally unaware of their children’s involvement in tagging,” he said.

Misdemeanor vandalism carries a fine of up to $250, a mandatory probation of three years and loss of a driver’s license for a year, police said. Offenders not of driving age must wait an extra year to get their driver’s licenses.

First-time offenders can be assigned to do as much as 64 hours of cleaning up graffiti, Foote said. Repeat offenders may be required to do as much as 200 hours. Taggers responsible for damage of more than $5,000 can be convicted of a felony.

Foote estimated that the costs to remove graffiti on city property and on private businesses, churches and individual homes will be about $10 million.

“That’s a horrific amount of funds when you consider tight budgets right now,” he said.