$2 Million Approved for Graffiti Removal

As part of an ongoing battle to clean the city’s streets and buildings, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved $2 million to renew contracts with 14 graffiti-fighting community groups, including four based in the Valley.

“We are making a difference, but it takes a continuous effort,” said Angel Perez Jr., executive director of El Centro de Amistad in Canoga Park, one of the four Valley nonprofit organizations contracted by the city to paint over or scrub out urban scrawl.

“We take it off, the vandals put it back up and we take it off again. We’re out there every day but Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Perez said.

Though volunteers throughout the city regularly help clean graffiti on their own or through neighborhood groups, the city’s official anti-graffiti efforts are coordinated through Operation Clean Sweep, which is part of the Department of Public Works. The community groups receive contracts from Clean Sweep and assemble work forces consisting of paid local youths, volunteers and people referred by the courts to perform community service.

Delphia Jones, director of Operation Clean Sweep, said the $2 million approved Wednesday by the council will represent the city’s total anti-graffiti budget for fiscal year 1997-98, which ends next June 30. It is the same amount that the program received last year.

Besides El Centro de Amistad, the other Valley organizations that will receive funds from Operation Clean Sweep are New Directions for Youth in Van Nuys, Sun Valley Graffiti Busters and Sylmar Graffiti Busters.

Graffiti Control Systems, a North Hollywood-based private contractor, will also receive a contract to remove graffiti from bridges and underpasses.

To report graffiti, or for more information about graffiti-removal programs, Los Angeles residents can call (800) 611-2489.