CULVER CITY : Taggers Can Lose Driver’s Licenses Under New Law

Taggers caught in Culver City will face the revocation of their driver’s licenses, stiff new fines and up to four days of community service under a tough anti-graffiti ordinance passed Monday.

The ordinance, approved unanimously by the City Council, is among the most stringent in Los Angeles suburbs. City officials said that last year alone, they were forced to spend $54,000 in public funds to clean up more than 1,900 markings.

Under the new city law, convicted taggers will face suspension of their driving privileges. They also could be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to a year and sentenced to perform up to four days of community service. Responsibility for paying fines will fall to parents, officials said, and those unable to pay could face the same community service time as their children.

Minors who are not with their parents or guardians also would be prohibited from carrying spray paint, markers or devices used to etch graffiti.

Property owners also will be targeted under the new ordinance. For six months after the ordinance takes effect, the city will ask owners of property that has been repeatedly tagged to voluntarily clean up the markings or pay the city to do it. The payments would then become mandatory for owners whose property has been cleaned up by the city four or more times.