YORBA LINDA : City Cracks Down on Spray-Paint Sales

An ordinance that will require stores to lock up spray paint and marking pens was approved this week by the City Council.

The ordinance replaces a previous anti-graffiti law and also includes provisions covering prevention, punishment and cleanup of graffiti.

New sections include requiring stores to keep spray-paint cans and felt-tip markers with tips at least one-eighth of an inch wide in locked display cases, behind counters or in locked storage rooms. The ordinance, which goes into effect next month, also bans the sale of such graffiti implements to minors. Businesses that fail to do so can be held financially responsible for the cleanup of graffiti caused by items taken from their store.

City Atty. Leonard Hampel said the ordinance combines all regulations dealing with graffiti into one ordinance.

The ordinance also spells out penalties for those convicted of painting graffiti, as well as for the parents of minors who are graffiti vandals.

Under the new measure, the city will ask courts to sentence convicted vandals to graffiti cleanup details and/or revoke their driver’s licenses or delay their driver eligibility.

Those who are wards of the court because of drug-related offenses will be required to perform up to 100 hours of community service if they are convicted of creating graffiti.

Also added to the ordinance was a section that makes parents of graffiti vandals liable for removal costs of up to $10,000.