The Resident

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Graffiti on the rise, but city, residents strike back

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

Illegible scribbles in black, blue, red and green are becoming more prevalent on public buildings and sound walls throughout San Jose. Residents, however, are fighting back.

Throughout the week of Feb. 25, the San Jose Anti-Graffiti Program hosted a weeklong graffiti cleanup throughout the city, abating approximately 2,129 tags.

The program includes four weeklong cleanups a year, with staff going out to abate graffiti, but because statistics released at the Feb. 22 Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force meeting showed a record increase in taggings from 2,594 in January 2007 to 13,900 tags in January 2008, the anti-graffiti staff reached out to volunteers for the February cleanup.

"We decided to utilize our volunteers--about 3,070," said Art Catbagan, San Jose parks, recreation and neighborhood services supervisor. "We want to bring graffiti back into the minds of folks. Together we can have an impact."

The program, started in 1998, provides resident volunteers with free anti-graffiti kits that include safety glasses, a mask, gloves, rags, sponges and a graffiti-removing solvent. Paint can also be picked up.

The tagging numbers are calculated from an annual survey done by anti-graffiti staff over the course of a week each January. Staff counts the number of tags they see and logs them. The highest concentration of graffiti falls in districts 3, 5 and 7, with 5 being the heaviest hit. Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 follow closely behind.

"Some people call it art, most call it vandalism," Catbagan said. "It's just something that's placed on public and private property that isn't wanted and is illegal and considered vandalism."

Graffiti for a tagger is recognition, a way to get "fame," as taggers call it, he said.

"The more often they get their tag up, the more people see it and more recognition they get," Catbagan said. "If you leave it, other taggers will come up and put theirs on it. It will multiply."

This is why residents and volunteers are integral to keeping graffiti at bay.

"If you see a tag and take it down," he said, "it sends a message to the tagger--find someplace else that it won't come down and will stay up for a while."

According to Catbagan, the number of tags had been steadily decreasing over the last nine years, but staff has seen that trend reverse and grow in 2008.

Catbagan said that although most associate tagging with gangs, only 6 percent of all tags are gang related. The most recent surge is coming from 10- to 14-year-olds, Catbagan said.

The jump in tags from 2007 to 2008 can be attributed in part to the reduction of anti-graffiti staff, Catbagan said.

There are a total of 12 staff members on the anti-graffiti program, but only six who actually abate graffiti.

The others work with volunteers and do educational outreach in the community.

The staff was reduced because of a combination of injuries, retirements and reassignment to focus on the anti-litter program. At full staff, there would be 17 total and 11 for graffiti abatement, Catbagan said.

"We picked up the responsibility to do litter without additional resources," he said.

For more information or to participate in the anti-graffiti program, call 408.277.3208 or visit the main office, 501 Vine St.

To report graffiti in the community, call the Anti-Graffiti Hotline at 408.277.2758.