Posted on 07/07/2006 2:59:10 PM PDT by BenLurkin
It's a case of "Tag, you're it!" Graffiti vandals, or taggers as they're known, are in the spotlight of law enforcement in Los Angeles County. Now is the time to keep up the pressure and shine the light even brighter.
Graffiti costs taxpayers, business owners and even homeowners millions of dollars each year. But even worse than that is the look that it gives to a community - it's like a big sign that says, "Lowlifes, gang members and all manner of criminals welcome here!"
Studies indicate crime goes up after graffiti comes in.
Graffiti is how gang members mark their territory - like dogs when they urinate on fire hydrants, with apologies to our canine friends for the analogy.
Palmdale sheriff's deputies conducted two operations in the last week designed to crack down on the vandals.
They went out and picked up known taggers, including a 12-year-old who suddenly wasn't so street tough, breaking down and crying as they hauled him away. They also went to the Four Points Swap Meet - the flea market conducted every weekend for decades on the city's east side - and arrested vendors who were selling spray paint to kids.
Laws require spray paint to be locked up in stores and sold only to adults, yet kids were able to buy it openly at the swap meet.
At the same time these efforts were going on here, in Los Angeles, the county Board of Supervisors was looking into the feasibility of seizing and forfeiting vehicles involved in graffiti vandalism. At the board's direction, the district attorney will work with the county counsel, the Sheriff's Department and the Department of Public Works to come up with recommendations on adopting such an ordinance, reporting back within 30 days.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
Good, graffiti really make L.A. look like a turd world country.
"Taggers" never spew their crap on their own homes.
Wonder why.
I despise tagging as much or more than most, but please let's not add this crime to the growing list punished by unconstitutional car forfeitures!
Last I heard there is a coating which will make cleaning graffiti off after the fact much easier.
Either it is too expensive or there are countermeasures to it so it doesn't seem to be used as much as it should.
Geez, it's about time.
Taggers are such creepy little vermin cowards.
Penalties should be mega stiff to nip 'em in the bud.
I agree with you on that 100%.
Maybe punishment should include requiring them to do so, and then clean it all off or repaint the house, all at the tagger's or family's expense, of course.
Well, it's about damn time. Whittier sure has become graffiti paradise.
I'm glad the County is acting.
But the Mrs. and I are still looking for a place to go to in a few years away from California.
Preferably a nice bright red laser light.
What happened to impounding their autos?
That's called Teflon.
Of course, if that was sprayed on City Hall, or on the Kalifornia Democratic Party HQ, it'd be considered an employment ad. Ditto for Chicago, DC and NYC.
Actually they do tag the apartment complexes they infest.
I say off with their thumbs.
You ever try to hold a spray can without any thumbs?
At the risk of being accused of highjacking, I fixed it.
Works for me!
if it's sprayed on the Democratic Party HQ it's called an improvement.
Right. Let's just make the tagger tag his own car with his own gang's "colors". And then sentence him to cruise -- slowly and repeatedly -- through a rival gang's turf...
Or. maybe, tag his car with a rival gang's colors -- and send him home... '-}
tie them up nude to a pole and let community members come by and spray paint them from head to foot as they like.
Already been done. I visited a small, specialty crayon manufacturer in MA who invented and made a clear, "anti-graffiti" coating that worked very well -- at least when sprayed on brick.
The first judge that uses alternative sentencing to make this happen will become a national hero!
It's pretty bad here in L.A. right now. Starting to creep into O.C. where I live. I've raised hell with my city on several occasions to get it cleaned up by the freeways, etc. Ticks me off to no end.
Its out there. It is still expensive though. It will coat almost anything. From your car to brick like the previous poster mentioned.
Ditto here.
Yes it is bad in LA, but you should see Tijuana, my company has a facility there. Every flat surface all over, outside the downtown area, is covered with graffiti
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