Graffiti Victims to remove Graffiti Themselves

By Gerry Smith Tribune staff reporter
November 29, 2007

Nearly every six months for the last 10 years, Cindi Pienkos has awakened to find the outside of her Glen Ellyn home defaced with graffiti.She'd call the village's public works department. Workers would blast away the scrawlings with a pressure washer.But now the burden is shifting. Amid staff shortages and concerns over damaging property, the western suburb is forcing Pienkos and other graffiti victims to remove the etchings themselves -- and quickly -- or face fines.
Under a new ordinance, property owners have 10 days to remove graffiti or possibly be fined between $100 and $500. Other suburbs have similar measures as frustrated officials hope to discourage elusive graffiti vandals and keep the work from blighting the communities.Officials say they rarely, if ever, levy fines, and the deadlines are necessary to give them prompt access to private property. But by placing the onus of graffiti removal on property owners, Glen Ellyn's law has offended residents like Pienkos, 47, who said she is being unfairly targeted because her home is a popular canvas for defiant teenagers."We're already being victimized," she said, "Now we're being victimized again?"The measures to combat graffiti come as gang activity has increased in some Chicago suburbs. As inner-city housing developments close, neighborhoods gentrify and Chicago police step up their gang enforcement, 31 of 81 suburban police departments cited an increase in gang crime from 2003 to 2006, according to a report by the Chicago Crime Commission.In most suburbs, painting graffiti is a misdemeanor that includes fines and community service. But authorities acknowledge making few arrests in this game of cat-and-mouse with vandals who work quickly under the cover of darkness.Some suburbs have installed cameras, banned the sale of spray paint to minors or offered rewards for information leading to the arrest of vandals.But the newer tactic of targeting property owners is misguided, critics say. Pienkos, who has lived next to a Glen Ellyn park for 18 years, complains that police should have a greater presence in her neighborhood."If the police are not going to watch the place, then they should have to clean up the graffiti themselves," she said.Glen Ellyn Deputy Police Chief Bill Holden said officers do patrol the area, and he understands if the ordinance upsets residents."But they still own the building, and they have a responsibility to help us clean up the community," he said.Glen Ellyn is taking a different approach in the war on graffiti from Chicago, where parents or guardians of graffiti vandals can be assessed a fine of $250 or community service.As aldermen debated the measure in June, Mayor Richard Daley said, "Eventually people have to be responsible for their children," adding sarcastically, "Who should be responsible, the building owner?"Yet that's the case in Romeoville and Villa Park, as well as Glen Ellyn. Before Glen Ellyn passed its ordinance in September, Romeoville shortened the time property owners have to respond to graffiti from two weeks to three days, and Villa Park cut its deadline from seven days to three days. The latter two communities also fine those who don't comply, but they still offer free graffiti removal.These measures do little to combat graffiti at its source, say critics, who suggest implementing stricter front-end approaches."Any time you go after someone who has already been victimized, it's a bad idea," said Timothy Kephart, president of Graffiti Tracker Inc., which analyzes graffiti photos for law-enforcement officials in Southern California.He said the only way to catch vandals is to document and monitor their activity."You can't just paint over the problem and hope it goes away," Kephart said.In Chicago, where graffiti has spiked 30 percent since 2004, Streets and Sanitation officials have extended their standard for removing urban scrawl from 10 days to 20 days because of heavy volume.Graffiti is spiking in the suburbs too. On a recent morning in Villa Park, members of the graffiti task force wore surgical masks as they zapped graffiti on the brick wall of a home using a pressure washer filled with baking soda. The task force has been busier than usual this year, removing 124 graffiti taggings, compared with 27 in 2004, said Dan Sullivan, the streets superintendent."They're so fast," Sullivan said of graffiti vandals. "They can tag a wall in 30 seconds and move on."Though baking soda is strong enough to take off spray paint without damaging siding, graffiti vandals have begun scrawling on windows with acid, which can't be removed and can also burn the skin, Sullivan said.Removal is time-consuming, but worthwhile, he said."Removing graffiti quickly is kind of defeating to them," Sullivan said.Back in Glen Ellyn, Pienkos said her home has been graffiti-free since police installed a video camera in the park. But she remains frustrated that police have not caught the vandals, and that she has yet to find suburban refuge from this urban scourge."If I lived in Chicago, where taxes aren't so high, it'd be a different story," she said. "But we live in Glen Ellyn, and our taxes are supposed to protect us from this.

Hate Graffiti

Racially Charged Graffiti Scrawled On Suburban Storefront Sidewalk
Store Owner Says Not First Racist Act Against Her
POSTED: 3:44 pm EST November 30, 2007
UPDATED: 5:41 pm EST November 30, 2007

A message of hate was scrawled on the sidewalk in front of a Delaware County store, and the African-American owner said it isn't the first racist act directed at her and her family.
Police said they believe someone wrote the racially charged graffiti last weekend.
Police said whoever wrote the graffiti was clearly targeting those who own the Y Kae's variety store, but community members said it's offensive to all of them.
"It's upsetting," Tylanda Whitney said.
Whitney is appalled every time she looks at the graffiti spray painted on the sidewalk outside of her Clifton Heights store.
The graffiti showed "nwa" and the n-word clearly written.
Whitney said it's racism at its worst.
"I was scared at first but I just felt angry. I was just angry," she said.
Whitney has owned the store with her business partner Pamela Williams, who is also African-American, for a month.
And she said this isn't the first time they have experienced bigotry in the predominantly white neighborhood. The two have lived there for seven years.
"We had another gentleman spit at Pamela. The next-door neighbors, they weren't nice," Whitney said. "We had watermelon thrown on our white picket fence."
Clifton Heights police said they are investigating the graffiti as a hate crime.
Police said they are not exactly sure what "nwa" means although many said it refers to a rap group.
On Friday, people of all races who walked by shook their heads in disgust.
"It's appalling you know. Real offensive," Kurtis Eppis, of Clifton Heights, said.
"Somebody to do something like that there's got to be something wrong with them," Edwin Szurgocinski, of Clifton Heights, said.
Many in the neighborhood said it's a slap in the face to all of them and the outrage went right up to the top.
"If we can find the person who did this they will set an example for this borough. It's a great borough and the people of Clifton Heights will not tolerate this type of action," Clifton Heights Mayor Joseph Kelly said.
In the meantime, Whitney said she and her business partner are not going to move.
"There is someone intimidating us and they don't want us here. They don't want us here but we're not moving," she said.
Police have few leads, so if you have information contact them.
The borough did have the sidewalk cleaned earlier this week so the writing has faded but it's still there.
The store's owners said community members have volunteered to paint over the words in the coming days.

Gang Crew Arested

report
A two-week graffiti investigation in Brazoria County has landed five reported gang members in jail.

BCSO
James Robert Simmons of Alvin and Saul Cavasos, both 19
The probe revealed there are at least five gangs operating in and around Alvin.
According to the Brazoria County Sheriff's Department:
Authorities launched the investigation after several incidents of graffiti were reported on November 11.
The incidents included various types of graffiti spray painted on private vehicles, industrial equipment, fences, railroad property, parks, government property and individual homes.
The damages are estimated to be at least $20,000.
On November 28, 2007, Brazoria County deputies arrested three juveniles and two adults.
The adults, James Robert Simmons of Alvin and Saul Cavasos, both 19, are each being held on a $15,000 bond.
The names of the juveniles have not been released.
It’s believed all are gang members.
The gangs believed involved in the graffiti war are the South East Crips (SEC), Blook Killers (BK), East Side Locos (ESL), 3PM and one gang yet to be identified.
Since the arrests, additional information has been obtained which should lead to the arrest of several more suspects in the case.

Mother Concerned About Graffiti

GRAFFITI is appearing around Dunmow and all over surrounding housing estates and people in the town want something done about it.Signs, bus shelters and fences around the town have been vandalised in this way and fears are growing that the problem is getting worse. Helena Bailey, of Godfrey Way, Dunmow, who keeps seeing graffiti appear in the town spoke to The Broadcast in the hope something would be done. The mother said: "We come from Romford where everything is 'tagged', we moved to Dunmow to get away from all that. It is a beautiful town and we don't want it ruined."The graffiti problem in Romford started in the same way. Children copy each other and when they see that nothing has been done about it they assume they can get away with it."
People in Dunmow want to see it stamped out before it gets out of hand and Mrs Bailey even suggested a hotline number, that people could ring when they spot graffiti, so the council could dispatch a team to clear it up.But Owen Wilson, Dunmow town clerk, told The Broadcast it just didn't have the resources for such a scheme.He said "The problem with a hotline is you need to have somebody on the other end of the phone, we don't have the capacity to do anything like that in this town."He said if the town used all the council funds to battle graffiti it wouldn't have any cash left for anything else, such as parks and climbing frames.Mr Wilson added: "If it's Town Council property we try to remove it, we do all we can to improve the town."He advised anyone concerned about graffiti to get in touch with Essex County Council.The issue first drew the public attention when graffiti reading 'CM6' was found on the Post Office sign positioned to the right of the building entrance, it is thought that the CM6 stands for a gang of youths rather then an individual.Several children have been seen regularly congregating at night around the front of the Post Office inside the bus shelter and it is believed they may be responsible or have seen the culprits.Mrs Bailey said: "I have also seen very offensive writing on some of the road signs near my house, one said the C word on Rosemary Lane. I have to walk my children past that on the way to town. It is terrible and an eyesore."Mrs Bailey said she had contacted Dunmow Town Council last week on the matter but has had no response."My husband said if he was given a kit he would do it himself. If we keep cleaning it up we will discourage whoever it is doing it," she said.The Post Office staff will be removing the graffiti on the premises. A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Our policy is to remove graffiti as soon as it's been reported, the Dunmow Post Office has been notified and it will be removed.

ATK Crew take a Hit

Lawton_It took hundreds of man hours, interviews and paperwork to investigate a Lawton graffiti gang. And, it's now in the hands of prosecutors who say they will file charges in more than thirty cases as early as tomorrow. 7News has been following the ATK graffiti crew's work since May when police say they hit the historic Fairmont Creamery. Since that time investigators have linked the spray paint vandals to more than 50 graffiti crimes totaling more than $80,000 in damage.
Prosecutors charged Michael Merritt with malicious injury to property in September and now four more people face charges for the felony crime. Police say SES, NATL, ATK, TIFF, and JESS are just some of the monikers the ATK crew spray painted all over town - including the I-44 tri level just south of Cache Road.
"It was a quite lengthy investigation almost to the point of a 3 inch, 3 ringer binder type deal," says Deputy Chief James Apple. That binder now sits on the desk of Comanche County Assistant District Attorney Eddie Valdez. In it are about 40 police reports containing statements from property owners, pictures of graffiti on their buildings and fences and interviews from the suspects.
"Not only is it to the public just an eyesore, but it is a felony crime," says Apple. And Valdez says it sends vandals a message. "Tagging these buildings, that what they are doing is clearly wrong," he says. "Even though it's not violent in nature, the damage they're causing is just insurmountable."
In at least eight of the reports, the damage exceeded $10,000 which is where the felony charges come in. Each of the five crew members faces one count and it could be worse. "They're looking at having up to 30 counts filed on each one of them," says Valdez. But, more than anything, police and prosecutors want the crew to pay for damage and the price to clean it up.
In some cases,

Take's Plane to Tag Trains

Steve ButcherNovember 29, 2007
AN ACCLAIMED Australian soprano has flown from London to Melbourne to support her teenage son who was recently charged with graffiti offences.
Lisa Gasteen, a former singer with the Australian Opera and the Victorian State Opera, and her husband, Barry Johnson, yesterday accompanied their son, Henry, to court.
The couple returned to Australia after Henry Johnson, 18, was arrested and accused of joining a hit-and-run interstate graffiti group.
Melbourne Magistrates Court heard that Ms Gasteen and Mr Johnson, a lawyer, came back from London out of concern for their son, who was arrested on October 23.
Police alleged he had flown to Melbourne from Queensland that day solely to paint or "tag" trains on the metropolitan rail network.
In an earlier bail application opposed by police, Johnson was accused of being part of an interstate graffiti "syndicate" or "crew".
The court heard he assaulted a Connex officer who tried to arrest him after painting a train at Rushall station.
In court yesterday, police opposed defence lawyer Rob Stary's application to vary Johnson's bail to allow him to live in Queensland pending a further hearing because he was a risk of "fleeing" the jurisdiction.
Mr Stary said Johnson would temporarily live in his father's house near Brisbane before moving to other accommodation with his sister.
In granting the application, magistrate Susan Wakeling said she was reassured by the presence of Johnson's parents, who would help ensure he appeared next year.
Ms Wakeling told Johnson he had met his original bail conditions and that while police feared he would flee and "cut loose" from his parents and family, she felt he was not "sufficiently silly to do that to yourself"'.
Johnson was bailed to appear again in March.
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Graffiti Writers Face Forced Clean Up

Graffiti vandals may face forced cleanupTue, November 27, 2007
By MARC CAPANCIONI, SPECIAL TO SUN MEDIA
For a new bylaw targeting graffiti vandals, the punishment seems to fit the crime.
London rolled out another weapon in its anti-graffiti arsenal yesterday, a program under which offenders may be ordered to remove their unsightly handiwork.
The so-called Start Scrub'in program will "be an option for the courts to consider" when dealing with those nabbed under the bylaw, said Orest Katolyk, London's bylaw enforcement manager.
"We take a zero-tolerance approach," Katolyk said, adding the city may also bill graffiti vandals or their parents for damages that result.
"We're using every tool that we have to focus on the vandals when they're caught."
If an offender is caught, and ordered to start scrubbing, the city will provide the covering paint, brushes, rollers and graffiti remover, and will recommend areas to clean up.
The offender, in turn, provides the time and elbow grease.
"Project Start Scrub'in is an option where the punishment clearly fits the crime," Katolyk said in a news release.
Doug Alexander, who has worked with Neighbourhood Watch's anti-graffiti campaign, knows the extent of the problem and thinks the new bylaw is a "fabulous" idea.
"It's a problem in some areas more than others, but it's really getting out of hand in the north (end of the city), where I live," he said.
London has adopted a number of measures to combat the rise in graffiti, including the first bylaw in Canada banning the sale of graffiti tools -- such as markers and spray paint -- to people under the age of 18.

Teens Arested in For Graffiti Spree Case

Halton - Georgetown: A Halton Regional Police Service targeted investigation into graffiti incidents in Georgetown has resulted in the arrest of 4 Georgetown youth.
The Halton Police, responding to community concerns regarding what was described as "gang like graffiti", embarked on an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for the numerous incidents of vandalism in Georgetown.
Detectives from the District #1 Criminal Investigations Bureau, Street Crime Unit, with the assistance of uniform patrol officers and the Georgetown High School Liaison Officer identified three 15 year old young men and one 13 year old young man.
All youths have been arrested and charged in relation to graffiti incidents.
In the incidents involved, the offenders left an impression on some members of the public that a gang problem existed in the Georgetown area.
The investigation led police to confirm that the expressive 'tags' attributed to these young males are only an attempt to emulate gang culture and none of the four young men arrested are members of any such gang.
Detective Sergeant Murray Drinkwalter says "We are extremely confident that we have identified the individuals responsible for approximately 75% of the graffiti issues that plagued Georgetown during the months of September and October. This includes the graffiti incident at St. Georges Anglican Church."
This investigation continues, other youth have been identified and are currently being investigated. Further charges are expected.
The four males, who can not be identified due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were released from custody and all are scheduled to appear in Youth Court during the month of December.
The Halton Regional Police Service is continuing to investigate these incidents. Anyone with information related to them is asked to contact the District 1 Criminal Investigations Bureau at (905) 825-4777 or (905) 634-1831 Ext. 2415 or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Graffiti Writers Tag by Cops

Reported by: Chris Cordt Email: cordt@kjrh.com Last Update: 5:11 pm
Painters are using a canvas that does not belong to them. Some sights along Tulsa highways are covered in vandalism.From billboard advertisements to apartment grounds along Highway 169 near 21st Street in Tulsa, vandals are making sure their artwork is seen. Christina Campos lives feet from one unwanted canvas. Maintenance crews spent hours covering it. Campos says, "Most of the graffiti that we have in most cities, I would venture to say, is not gang graffiti. More so, it's a group called taggers."Police want to tag the painters behind the brush. Tulsa Police Officer Jason Willingham says, "There's a lot of these kids or young people that are very, very talented, and I just wish that they would take those skills and apply them toward something that's gonna benefit the community instead of hurt the community."People caught spray painting private property can face a $500 fine and or 6 months in jail. If you see anyone vandalizing property you know does not belong to them, call CrimeStoppers at 596-COPS.

Fake Gang Graffiti

Bob Mitchell Staff Reporter
Four teens have been arrested in connection with a graffiti spree in Georgetown.
Halton Police said today that three 15-year-old male teens and a 13-year old boy were charged with the gang graffit vandalism.
In the incidents involved, the offenders left an impression on some members of the public that a gang problem existed in the Georgetown area.
Sgt. Peter Payne said the youths allegedly wanted people to believe the graffiti was related to the gang culture and that a gang was operating in the area but no such gang is operating.
"None of the four young men arrested are members of any such gang," Payne said.
Det.-Sgt. Murray Drinkwalter said police are "extremely confident" that the investigators have indentified 75 per cent of those responsible for the graffiti issues that plagued Georgetown during the months of September and October.
"This includes the graffiti incident at St. George's Anglican Church," he said.
Other youths are also being sought, police said.

News not supporting Graffiti

Community supports tough action on graffiti: Premier
Posted Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:01pm AEDT
The Victorian Premier, John Brumby, has rebuked a Greens MP who believes new anti-graffiti laws are too tough.
Greens Upper House member, Sue Pennicuik, told Parliament she was concerned that it was possible some offenders would be sent to jail.
She said some graffiti could be aesthetically pleasing and thought-provoking.
But Mr Brumby says Ms. Pennicuik is out of touch and the majority of the community supports a tough stance against graffiti.
"The fact is, if you are a private property owner and someone comes along at the weekend with a spray can and defaces your property, your front fence, your brick wall, it's just straight out criminal vandalism. It's not art, it's vandalism, it's the destruction of property," he said

News in support of Graffiti

A GREENS MP has launched an extraordinary defence of spray can vandals, saying graffiti brightened up the city and could be attractive.Sue Pennicuik told State Parliament new laws cracking down on graffiti vandals were draconian and unnecessary. She said graffiti vandals were being treated more harshly than dangerous drivers. Declaring that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", Ms Pennicuik said corporate logos were as much a blight on the landscape as graffiti. People who sprayed graffiti should be called graffiti markers, rather than vandals. "A lot of graffiti, including tags, can be political, aesthetically pleasing and thought-provoking," the Upper House MP said in a 48-minute speech. She said there were two points of view about graffiti, and "not everyone hates graffiti and not all graffiti is bad". Ms Pennicuik's speech, and her bid to amend the new laws, were attacked by her rivals from across the political spectrum, with Labor MP Martin Pakula saying graffiti vandalism was idiotic. "The vast majority of Victorians absolutely detest graffiti. They detest it because it is mindless vandalism," Mr Pakula said. He said that 95 per cent of graffiti was not art. "It is not self-expression, it is not clever, it is not political comment, it is mindless vandalism." Ms Pennicuik defended her speech, saying she was seeking to highlight concerns about the harsh penalties and police powers under the new laws, which were due to pass the Upper House last night. She said offenders, who were mostly teenagers, could be jailed under the new laws. She said the laws also created a reverse onus of proof, meaning people found with suspected graffiti implements, such as spray cans and stencils, would have to prove they were in possession of them for legitimate reasons. "I'm not saying there shouldn't be any penalties -- there should be -- but that there should be a diversionary program for young offenders. "Graffiti is a problem, I agree. No one likes tags particularly, and I don't like them. But do we want two-year jail terms for 15-year-old kids to be the penalty?" In her speech, Ms Pennicuik said the cost of cleaning up graffiti should not be the reason for making it a crime. She argued some graffiti walls, such as those in Hosier Lane in the city centre, were tourist attractions. "So what is the price of having clean walls? "This Bill . . . is an over-reaction to the issue of graffiti." Ms Pennicuik also told Parliament that "one could say the graffiti can break up the monotony of urban space". "While in one way of looking at it graffiti is annoying and costly, the other way of looking at it is that it is an acceptable way of expression and it could be tolerated, and is tolerated, in certain circumstances." Liberal MP Matthew Guy has a different view of graffiti. He and two friends recently chased a pair of graffiti vandals across three suburbs. Mr Guy said the trio were leaving a hotel after a Liberal Party function when they saw two men spraying a wall in Gipps St, Collingwood. They chased the vandals across three suburbs, but gave up when a 000 operator accidentally disconnected them as they tried to contact police.

Another happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

hi, here's a few more photo's I have taken if anybody has any Questions about Bailey Yard in North Platte Nebraska, or questions about the graffiti that is on the Railcars leave a comment or use the CBOX or join the fedd-back Forum.

Thanks
RailRider

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