Webb’s View of Tagger Case Offends Some : Simi Valley: Councilwoman’s letter calls man who killed teen-ager a hero and says police should shoot vandals with rock salt.

A letter by Simi Valley Councilwoman Sandi Webb praising a man who recently killed a graffiti tagger has dismayed her council colleagues, but the city’s mayor said Webb’s comments may actually boost the city’s image.

Webb may have gone too far in calling the Los Angeles County man a hero and recommending that Simi Valley police shoot would-be graffiti vandals with rock salt pellets, Mayor Greg Stratton said.

But he said Webb’s letter, which was printed in the Los Angeles Daily News last Friday, does not reinforce the negative image of Simi Valley that emerged after the police officer acquittals in the Rodney King trial in 1992.

“Maybe she got a little overly emotional,” Stratton said. “But I don’t think people will take away a negative image of our community from those comments. If anything people might just see that if they don’t like the law-and-order lifestyle, they aren’t going to be happy in Simi Valley.”

Webb, who is characteristically outspoken, praised William Masters of Pacoima as a “crime-fighting hero” for confronting two taggers in Sun Valley last week, then shooting the pair when they threatened him. Prosecutors declined to press charges after finding the shooting was in self-defense.

She also wrote that if Masters’ own city did not honor him for protecting himself with a gun, then Masters should move to Simi Valley where he would be welcome.

She also wrote: “Here in Simi Valley, I’ve often suggested that we issue rock salt to our police to use in their shotguns against taggers. Unfortunately, too many people assume that I’m joking.”

After receiving a few calls from local police officers who liked the letter, Webb said that she jokingly delivered 25 pounds of rock salt to police headquarters on Friday.

“It was an inside joke,” she said. “(But) a load of rock salt would be a real good deterrent. It certainly was good enough for our forefathers.”

Webb said that the letter and joke made the point that she wanted to stop graffiti and support Masters, who she felt was doing his civic duty when he tried to take down the taggers’ auto license number before the confrontation. She said he fatally shot the 18-year-old and wounded his 20-year-old companion only when the pair came toward him in a threatening way.

Other members of the Simi Valley council felt that Webb’s joking tone was inappropriate considering the nature of the incident.

“I personally don’t think it’s wise to do something tongue-in-cheek when a life has been taken,” Councilwoman Barbara Williamson said.

Councilman Paul Miller, Simi Valley’s retired police chief, said Webb’s comments send out the wrong message.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to think that we’re in favor of officers exercising punitive action,” he said. “No thinking person is going to seriously advocate anything like that.”

Miller would not say Webb’s comments were bad for Simi Valley’s image, but he worried that the issue would “escalate” into something bigger than it warrants.

Councilman Bill Davis agreed.

“I never like to speak negatively about another council member,” Davis said. “But I did cringe a little when I read her comments.”

Webb is entitled to express her opinion, Davis added, but since the letter noted she is a councilwoman it could have come across as the city’s opinion.

“I think when you are an elected official you have to be a bit more careful in expressing your opinion,” he said. “You’re speaking for the city, and I’m sure that a lot of people took it that way.”

Davis said he was uncomfortable with Webb’s suggestion that local police shoot taggers with salt pellets. “Even if it was in jest I think it can be construed in the wrong way on a lot of different levels.”

Both Miller and Williamson said they do not consider Masters a hero, and instead called the killing a tragedy.

Webb said her support for Masters does not mean she favors shooting taggers with anything other than salt pellets.

“He didn’t shoot these guys because they were spraying graffiti,” she said. “He spotted them, wrote down their license number and tried to walk away when they accosted him. He was defending himself.”