Point Loma residents like to keep their neighborhood looking sharp. So when vandals put graffiti on walls, benches or road signs, people like Point Loma Association member Cecilia Carrick are quick to eliminate it before more pops up.
Carrick, along with other members of the Point Loma Association’s beautification committee, work with the San Diego Police Department to report, document and remove graffiti and so-called “slap-tag” stickers.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a rampant problem,” Carrick said. “But it’s present and it’s very pervasive in a small culture of kids that think their doing nothing wrong and trying to prove something to others through their graffiti works.”
Carrick said when she sees graffiti on walls or on a sign, she usually takes a picture to document the crime for police. If it’s something she can remove herself, she does.
If the graffiti is too big or if it emerges somewhere she can’t reach, Carrick calls officer Bryan Hewitt with SDPD Western Division’s graffiti unit.
He said immediately removing graffiti after taking a picture keeps the problem from snowballing out of control. According to city officials, most offenders are cited for misdemeanors and can face fines up to of $1,000. Parents may also be held liable for damages up to $25,000.
“When graffiti gets painted out or erased or removed then people have a tendency not to put it back up. When they see it [lingering], then they have the tendency to be more active with tagging,” Hewitt said.
Once the graffiti has been documented, police can compare it with other graffiti, or other tags, to track the responsible parties, he said.
Much of the graffiti surfaces near Point Loma High School and near busy streets such as Nimitz Boulevard, Chatsworth Boulevard and Rosecrans Street, Carrick said.
Vice principal Consuelo Manriquez of Correia Middle School, said cracking down on students who tag the school’s bathrooms, benches and trashcans is an effort that sends a message to other students about serious consequences of the crime.
She said less graffiti appears once students see other students get in trouble for it.
“We still see it, but nothing compared to what we had last semester,” Manriquez said.
Manriquez said getting parents involved also helps prevent graffiti around the neighborhood.
About 20 members of the PLA beautification committee help keep graffiti off the Peninsula.
Residents wishing to get involved with the Point Loma Association’s beautification committee can do so via e-mail at [email protected]. The PLA is an organization of residents and businesses owners who work to keep Point Loma clean through beautification projects. For more information, visit www.plaweb.org.
To report graffiti, contact Hewitt at the Western Division graffiti unit at [email protected] or calling (619) 531-2561 Mondays through Thursdays.