FULLERTON : 2 Win Awards for Anti-Graffiti Efforts

A reward program to help fight graffiti vandals is producing good results, city officials said.

Graffiti has fallen dramatically since the City Council passed a tough anti-graffiti ordinance in March, according to the city Maintenance Department, which has cleaned acres of spray-painted walls over the last year.

The battle is being won partly through the efforts of residents and business people, two of whom were awarded $500 last week by the council because they worked with the police to convict two graffiti vandals.

Richard Braeutigan, a nightclub manager, helped convict a 17-year-old graffiti vandal, or tagger, for causing $11,000 in damage to windows of businesses in an East Fullerton shopping center.

Braeutigan caught the youth scratching the word “enemy” onto the rear door of his nightclub and released him with a severe warning, according to the city.

But when Braeutigan discovered that 12 neighboring businesses also had the word “enemy” scrawled on their windows, he called the police and gave them the youth’s name.

The other award winner, Diane Spalding, helped police capture a 14-year-old who scribbled with a colored marker on picnic tables, doors and bicycle racks at Golden Hill Elementary School.

Spalding was driving past the school when she saw the boy. First, she tried to detain him with the help of her husband, Fullerton Police Sgt. Geoff Spalding, but the youth escaped.

Shortly afterward, she again drove by the school and saw the same boy. She called police, and the youth was apprehended.

“They went out of their way to take some action,” said Councilman A.B. (Buck) Catlin of the two award recipients. “I think it really shows a dedication there.”

Catlin said he is proud of residents who have helped convict taggers, paint over walls and “adopt” neighborhoods to keep them clean.

“The residents have come together,” said Catlin. “People have stepped out and done things for themselves.”

The Maintenance Department removed 26,332 square feet of graffiti in April. By June, they only had to remove 16,243 square feet of graffiti, according to a special graffiti report produced for the council.