Packed with spray paint and industrial strength solvents, the
trunk of Community Service Officer Angela Locke-Paddon’s SUV
contains all the ingredients for removing graffiti and whipping
Gilroy into shape, aesthetically.
photo gallery of police cleaning up the streets.
Packed with spray paint and industrial strength solvents, the trunk of Community Service Officer Angela Locke-Paddon’s SUV contains all the ingredients for removing graffiti and whipping Gilroy into shape, aesthetically.
This year alone, Locke-Paddon has already documented thousands of occurrences of graffiti and 2007 saw a 40 percent increase in graffiti over the previous year, she said. She estimated that she spends about $35,000 a year on cleaning up Gilroy’s graffiti problem, between her own supplies and paying a paint contractor, a drop in the bucket compared to the amount business owners, home owners, the water district and the city and parks department must pay to repair property. Also, her part time position as a graffiti abatement officer cost the city $25,000 last fiscal year.
“You can’t let them win,” she said as black ink drizzled down the side of a metal mailbox, the graffiti no match for the miracle solution in her spray bottle. A few quick swipes of a rag rendered the crude markings a mere memory. But when graffiti rears its ugly head in astonishing numbers, Locke-Paddon’s efforts extend beyond a quick cleanup here and there.
By the numbers
â– Younger than 18: Can’t buy spray paint
â– Property owners have 48 hours to clean up graffiti
â– GPD spends $35,000 a year toward cleanup supplies plus the salary of one part time officer (another $25,000)
Documented cases:
â– November 2007: 949
â– December 2007: 932
â– January 2008: 1,312
Call 846-0395 to leave a tip on the graffiti hotline.She spent more than an hour in an East Gilroy alley scrubbing away spray paint and marker and using her own paint to cover that which wouldn’t come off easily. Several of the blocks of gray spray paint left behind from another one of her endeavors had already been retagged.
“It’s like a game of cat and mouse,” she said. She responds to all the calls left on the graffiti hotline but often becomes sidetracked when she spots another tagged wall, then another. The call that brought her to the alley ended up alerting her to dozens of other instances of graffiti. And the pictures she takes of each instance are not even a true indication of the sheer numbers of vandalism. A crew of faithful volunteers and citizens at large help remove the graffiti before it comes across her desk.
“There’s definitely been an increase,” she said. “In the last six months, I’ve seen a huge increase. I don’t know why. I really don’t.”
She maintains an extensive database with thousands of photos and descriptions of vandalism in an effort to catch the vandals before they leave another mess for her to clean up. She pointed out similarities between the style and handwriting of several examples.
“What’s so frustrating is that it’s so hard to catch them in the act,” Locke-Paddon said. “They’re so quick.”
However police caught three vandals in December. Anthony Robledo, 26, Edmundo Aviles, 27, and Rogelio Baltazar, 25, were convicted on charges of vandalism and will appear in court May 12 to be sentenced for their crime, more than $400 in damages to a building on the 300 block of First Street, Sgt. Chad Gallacinao said. Felony vandalism can result in jail time, fines up to $10,000 and/or community service.
“Shouldn’t these guys have jobs?” Gallacinao said of the vandals. “This is a bigger problem that has a financial impact on everybody, not just the home owner or property owner, but the tax payers too.”
Wendyl Steiner, owner of Napa Auto Parts on Monterey Road, said he’s fed up with having to repaint the back of his building every couple weeks to cover a fresh round of graffiti. A city ordinance requires property owners to remove or cover up graffiti within 48 hours of its occurrence. But as soon as the vandals see a blank canvas, they come back to start again, he said. But he keeps at it because the back of his building is visible to South Valley Middle School and he worries that leaving graffiti all over his business will send the students the wrong message, “and frankly, I don’t want to have to look at it.” The Gilroy Police Department has supplied him with a five-gallon bucket of paint to keep on hand “just in case,” he said.
“I don’t understand people,” he said. “It’s terrible that people can get away with it. I’m ready to hide back there myself.”
“It’s ugly,” Locke-Paddon said, concisely summing up the state of the alley. “It instills fear, decreases property values. The first thing I think of when I see a lot of graffiti somewhere – this is a junky town.”
In an effort to discourage graffiti and beautify the city, Locke-Paddon has worked with locals to paint several murals around town. A mural under the Santa Teresa Bridge near Third Street depicts some of California’s local wildlife and deters graffiti vandals from leaving their mark. Tagging crews usually respect the artwork and stay away, Locke-Paddon said. Only a small block of the concrete bridge outside of the mural had been tagged, which she quickly painted over. However, the other side of the bridge supports was a different story. Huge swirls of graffiti coated the wall, out of sight.
“They’re practicing,” Locke-Paddon said.
Although many of the instances of graffiti reeked of gang overtones – names, numbers and insignia – she explained that not all graffiti is gang related and that “tagging crews” compete for the most prime real estate. She pointed out several scrawls that had been crossed out and replaced by other barely legible scribbles.
When Locke-Paddon happened upon a wall with a large lettering, she switched out the tip of her spray paint can for a higher pressured tip.
“Time to pull out the big guns,” she said.
Call 846-0395 to leave a tip on the graffiti hotline.
