VOLUNTEERS HELP TRACK DOWN GRAFFITI IN LA MESA

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October 14, 2012 (La Mesa)--La Mesa is serious about eradicating graffiti thanks to an organized program and dedicated volunteers, the city’s Focus publication reports.  La Mesa participates in the countywide Graffiti Tracker program, where all graffiti is photographed and logged by area and “tag.” 

The goal is to remove all graffiti within 72 hours, though often graffiti is eliminated within 24 hours.  

“We have found that the taggers don’t keep coming back if their tags are quickly painted out,” the article states.   Taggers will often make small tags on utility boxes and signs; if those tags go untouched, they return and make more elaborate “artistic” tags. 

Taggers today are very mobile. Their tags appear throughout the county, but in La Mesa, graffiti is not tolerated. 

You may have noticed the artistic utility boxes popping up along University Avenue.  Graffiti Trackers work  with La Mesa Arts Alliance and area schools to identify utility boxes that are chronically tagged and put a fresh coat of paint and a fun design on these boxes. Boxes painted with designs have proven to be much less likely to be vandalized with graffiti.  If you have creative talents, the city welcomes volunteers to help on this project. 

Report any graffiti you see, as soon as possible, to La Mesa’s Graffiti Hotline 466.3789. If you want to be part of the team of volunteers or paint a utility box, contact our volunteer coordinator, Maxine Lynch, at 667.7560.


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