FULLERTON : Neighborhood Plan OKd in Graffiti Fight

The City Council has created an adopt-a-neighborhood program to fight graffiti and agreed to buy a $30,000 remote video-camera system to catch taggers.

Police Chief Patrick McKinley told the council Tuesday night that his department is working with the city’s Maintenance and Community Services departments to develop a comprehensive graffiti control program.

Hundreds of people have attended recent council meetings and complained about the work of taggers, the graffiti vandals who have left their marks on the city’s walls and wallet.

Over the past three months, city workers have removed more than 70,000 square feet of graffiti, according to Robert Savage, director of maintenance services. He estimated the expense to be about $30,000. During a similar period last year, he said, workers removed about half that much graffiti.

The adopt-a-neighborhood program will provide paint to residents who agree to cover over graffiti in certain areas of the city, according to city staff. Paint will be given out free and is available in six standard colors.

To kick off the neighborhood adoption program, a citywide “paint-out” will be conducted May 15.

The $30,000 surveillance system would use video cameras and transmitters so the police could monitor certain locations from the department’s headquarters. The cameras would be hidden at locations favored by graffiti vandals and relocated as needed. The department wants to buy three cameras, McKinley said.

The city’s new anti-graffiti ordinance has reduced tagging slightly, Savage said. Passed in February, the ordinance imposes stiff fines on taggers.

“We’re getting our backlog significantly reduced” because of the ordinance. Heavy rain in recent months also deterred taggers, Savage said. Two maintenance teams are now working to cover the graffiti.

McKinley said the recent negative publicity about tagging has made young people join homeowners in their disdain for the vandalism.

“I think people’s acceptance (of graffiti) is on the decline,” McKinley told the council.

The council voted 4 to 0 to approve the new measures. Councilwoman Julie Sa was absent.