LAGUNA BEACH : Art Colony to Weigh Anti-Graffiti Tactics

Seeking to squelch what police say is an increased incidence of graffiti vandalism in this city, the City Council tonight will consider whether to draft an anti-graffiti law for Laguna Beach.

“We’ve had a large increase in graffiti showing up all over the city,” said Police Sgt. Don Barney, who works with the Police Department’s gang unit. “Our pier has been ‘graffitied’ many times. We’ve had several parks (targeted). Even some of our newer parks have had graffiti put on them from one end to the other.”

While such vandalism is often associated with gang activity, Barney said he believes that “a lot of the tagging is probably mostly our local kids.”

In the latest incident, one or more vandals spray-painted bleachers, bricks, steps and an outside wall at Laguna Beach High School, Police Capt. William Cavenaugh said.

Several months ago, Barney said, vandals blanketed Alta Laguna Park in the Top of the World neighborhood with graffiti, spray-painting playground equipment, fences, trash cans, benches and restrooms. No one was arrested in that case.

Last week, police say they arrested an adult and a juvenile at Alta Laguna Park on weapons-related charges. Barney said the two suspects were later found to belong to a gang from outside the city. About four others who had gathered at the park at about 1 a.m. that morning eluded police. Cans of spray paint were found along the path they had taken, Cavenaugh said.

“These guys took off into the brush somewhere,” he said. “They were dropping things as they went.”

In response to the problem, the council tonight will consider a variety of ways to deal with graffiti, from making parents take responsibility for such vandalism when their youngsters are at fault to restricting the display and sale of materials that can be used to deface property.