REGION: Drawing a line

Popular theory sees stopping graffiti as a message to more serious criminals

By GARY WARTH - Staff Writer | Saturday, May 10, 2008 4:52 PM PDT ∞

Sheriff Deputy Pat Shannon, who is Vista's graffiti officer, stands nearby a graffiti covered wall next to the Sprinter tracks in Vista on Thursday. (HAYNE PALMOUR IV/Staff photographer)

While they may not know it, North County cities aggressively battling graffiti are following a national strategy that sees the urban artwork as something much more than unsightly scribbles on walls.

In what is commonly known as the broken-windows theory, graffiti is seen as a precursor to more serious crimes, declining property values and decaying neighborhoods.

But just as its appearance can trigger a downward spiral, its removal can spark an urban renewal, create a sense of pride and ownership within a community and make neighborhoods safer overall, according to the theory.

Introduced in a 1982 Atlantic Monthly article by college professors George Kelling and James Q. Wilson, the influential theory is gaining national acceptance with an enticing promise: Spending a modest amount on fixing broken windows and painting over graffiti can be the most cost-effective way a city can improve itself.

The idea began getting wide attention after Kelling and co-author Catherine Coles wrote the 1996 book "Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities." Kelling later was hired as a consultant in Boston, Los Angeles and New York to implement his theory, where it was credited with helping reduce crime.

"It's still catching on here," said Michael Eichler, a professor in the school of social work and director of the Consensus Organizing Center at San Diego State University. "I think there's definitely more interest in it, but it's certainly not something that's understood from top to bottom."

Whether by coincidence or design, local cities in the past few years have adopted programs that mimic the broken-widows strategy, and hotlines to report graffiti and quick responses to remove it now are common in North County,

Kelling and his partners stressed pursuing so-called small crimes as well as serious ones because he saw a link between the two. He was proved right when his recommendation to arrest turnstile-jumpers in New York subways netted wanted criminals.

Less tangible, he has written, is a connection between serious crime and broken windows and graffiti.

Both are signs that a city is neglecting a neighborhood, he wrote, and they are invitations to squatters, drug dealers and other bad elements who move in, believing the city and law enforcement have given up on an area.

Cleaning up the block shows somebody is keeping an eye on it, which will scare away the criminals; leaving it alone attracts more bad elements who scare away law-abiding citizens, making the neighborhood worse, the theory states.

"I think people have been smart to see a link to these very early, minor infractions," Eichler said. "From a community point of view, it's very important to put a stop to the things early on."

It may be impossible to definitively link graffiti abatement with crime statistics, however. Crime already is on the decline countywide, and the county's overall violent crime rate in 2007 was the lowest in the past 25 years.

In practice

In Escondido, which adopted a Web-based service to help catch graffiti vandals in 2006, City Council members this month said they wanted to revive a program to award $1,000 for tips that lead to the conviction of graffiti vandals. Fifteen people received awards in the year-long program before it was cut by city staff last July.

Vista this year increased by 60 percent its budget to fight graffiti, Fallbrook formed an anti-graffiti task force last December and San Marcos has an online form for residents to give the city permission to remove graffiti from their property. Carlsbad, Encinitas and Oceanside are among local cities with 24-hour hotlines to report graffiti.

Vista this year will spend $240,000 to fight graffiti. Deputy Pat Shannon is the Sheriff's Department's graffiti officer for the city.

"If it doesn't get covered up, it gives the impression that nobody cares, and that invites more crime in the area," he said. "It's at the heart of the broken-windows theory."

Shannon, a Vista deputy for eight years, was assigned to investigate graffiti in January. His duty is to pursue taggers, mostly juveniles whose goal mostly is to have their artwork seen by as many people as possible.

Another deputy investigates gang graffiti, which differ in appearance and motivation; gang members leave graffiti to mark territory or to challenge a rival's turf.

Whatever the source of the graffiti, Shannon said the city's policy is to document it for evidence and to remove it quickly. A fast removal is a crucial deterrent, he said.

"I've had guys tell me, 'I used to tag, but as soon as I put it up, they covered it, so what's the use?' " Shannon said. "Covering it up as soon as possible is one of the most effective ways of combating graffiti."

Shannon said arrests are made by catching someone in the act or acting on a tip, which sometimes leads to search warrants where he finds cans of paint and incriminating sketchbooks.

The city employs two people to remove graffiti, and Shannon said sometimes it is hard to keep up with the taggers' pace.

"I can do this full time and keep another guy busy," he said. "It'd be nice to have two full-time graffiti investigators. There's just not enough time in my day to cover it all."

In Oceanside, Deputy Public Works Director Joe Arranaga also said it is hard to keep up with the vandals, despite the city's efforts.

"We take it very seriously," Arranaga said. "It's one of our highest priorities."

Oceanside has a 24-hour hotline for graffiti removal, and Arranaga said graffiti usually is covered up within 24 to 48 hours.

But Oceanside has not adopted any new programs or hired additional workers to combat the problem, as have some other local cities.

When the calls are overwhelming, Arranaga said the city pulls a worker off another crew to help the one employee assigned to remove graffiti.

Last October, Oceanside City Council members expressed frustration at the graffiti problem, and Councilman Jack Feller called the situation the worst he had seen in quite a few years.

Common sense

While it seems all local cities have an invigorated commitment to fight graffiti, they weren't necessarily inspired by the broken-windows theory.

In Escondido, Community Development Director Jonathan Brindle said he had heard of the theory but that it was not the driving force for the city's graffiti-abatement. Rather, he said, it was directed by the City Council as a way of improving neighborhood appearances, not deterring crime.

Still, Escondido's efforts parallel the broken-windows theory strategy: Graffiti is removed within 12 and 14 hours of being reported, Brindle said, and perpetrators are pursued. Last year, 126 arrests were made for graffiti violations, Brindle said.

Escondido's graffiti-abatement program is part of the city's Appearance and Compliance Team, which has an annual budget of $760,000, he said.

Eichler said it is not surprising that cities may be following the broken-windows theory without even knowing it.

"People usually have common sense, and they don't need to know it's connected to a theory," he said.

In Fallbrook, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bob Leonard said a safer community is the goal of a new anti-graffiti task force that united the Sheriff's Department, Crime Stoppers and community groups.

When asked about the broken-windows theory, however, he said he had never heard of it.

You wouldn't know that to hear him talk, however.

"Graffiti seems to be in the same category as an unkempt yard," he said. "It seems to be the sign that the community is not thoughtful about itself. Most of us enjoy living in communities that care for themselves, not in a community with broken windows and husks of vehicles in their front yard."

Leonard called graffiti an indicator of a community's progressing in the wrong direction.

"Does graffiti pull walls down?" he asked rhetorically. "No. But it indicates there's eliminates of uncontrolled activity in your community, and if no one cares if I write graffiti on a wall, maybe they won't care if I throw a brick through their window."

Leonard stressed that Fallbrook's anti-graffiti effort is about the community working together, which Eichler said is one of the residual benefits of improving neighborhoods.

A 24-hour hotline and community policing give people a sense of ownership in their neighborhoods, and once they begin working together on one problem, they are likely to continue to collaborate on other issues, he said.

"In Southern California, anything that gets people to know their neighbors is just a wonderful thing," he said.

Time will tell if the anti-graffiti efforts coincide with a decline in local crime. Even if they do, Eichler noted that critics of the theory have said such reductions could be attributed to other factors.

Still, he said, cities should see no harm in removing graffiti, fixing broken windows and making residents feel they are not neglected.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.

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44 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

Tuck wrote on May 10, 2008 6:40 PM:Dear NCT,

Please check your facts. Carlsbad does NOT have a Graffiti Hotline. If you go to the city’s website it says that the graffiti page is outdated. I guess it is wishful thinking on the part of the journalist who wrote the article.

Yours,
Tuck

westside wrote on May 11, 2008 8:52 AM:Mr. Brindle is incorrect in stating that graffiti is removed within 12 to 14 hours of being reported in Escondido. I have been reporting graffiti for the last two years - and the wait time is anywhere from one day to three weeks. And, it is rare for it to be removed within one day - the norm is several days. Also, the quality of the removal has gone way down. There is a big need for improvement to the Escondido Graffiti Removal Program.

Dear Tuck wrote on May 11, 2008 10:23 AM:Carlsbad does indeed have a graffiti hotline...it is 760-434-6700. I have had this as a speed dial on my cell phone for years. Carlsbad and Encinitas are very quick to respond.

Oceansider wrote on May 11, 2008 10:37 AM:I have reported graffiti to the Oceanside graffiti hotline, and the stuff is usually gone within 48 hours. Whoever is manning this operation for the city is doing a terrific job and are to be thanked. More people reporting this crime would go a long way toward making this city a better place.

Matthew wrote on May 11, 2008 12:26 PM:What a ridiculous theory. Graffiti is a symptom, not a cause. You don't put a band-aid on a broken arm--you fix it. Maybe Vista should put that quarter of a million dollars in education or after school programs. I know people on here want to think anyone who tags is a helpless, soulless animal. But that's rubbish. Give the kids that tag something to do, give them another outlet, help them instead of ignore them and you will likely see graffiti become less common.

Chuck wrote on May 11, 2008 1:25 PM:Matthew is wrong.Taggers are not victims, they are criminals. It has nothing to do with income or opportunity. How about allowing the victims of taggers to tag the homes and cars of the perps and their families, along with 1000 hours of graffiti cleanup for the taggers?

The problem is the parents and courts wrote on May 11, 2008 2:59 PM:When parents don'e care and aren' t held responsible and the courts do not punish, this is what you get. Judges are too liberal!

To Matthew wrote on May 11, 2008 3:33 PM:Matthew maybe you should take a drive through Vista and you will see that most recreation parks i.e. basketball courts, baseball field, soccer field, etc are pretty much empty. These youth you are talking about have a lot to do. They just make their own choices. I know a lot of kids in Vista who choose not to tag. So please, STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.

Tuck wrote on May 11, 2008 3:36 PM:Thanks for the info. I was looking for the number on Carlsbad’s Website and could not find it. I will definitely store it in my cell phone too!

Phil wrote on May 11, 2008 3:39 PM:To Matthew: I love you liberals who bring up this ridiculous symptom/disease theory. We should be more like Singapore, where a bloody back is a symptom of whipping.

do gooder wrote on May 11, 2008 4:13 PM:Maybe if we plant spiny cactus along the walls it will deter the immature people that feel the need to deface public property. It will also save water by not having the regular plants we normally plant there. Just a thought

SM wrote on May 11, 2008 8:47 PM:"How about allowing the victims of taggers to tag the homes and cars of the perps and their families, along with 1000 hours of graffiti cleanup for the taggers?"... are you serious? I just want to make sure that wasn't an actual solution you had in mind. Most taggers (except for gang related graffiti) do it because they appreciate art and want to get there name out there. Other people see it and you get respect for that, and to some people thats their outlet. And im talking about graffiti artist who are creative with their pieces and actually consider it artwork. I think some of the graffiti I see is actually pretty amazing considering they did it in the middle of the night while trying not to get caught. And well my main point is that... well yeas its wrong, but I have to agree with Mathew. If we spend more money on after school programs, especially in middle school which is usually where most kids start getting into graffiti. I think more art classes and art activities in general would really help this problem. Show kids that there are other more positive ways to use art to get their name out there, and that there can be a future in it. I know this for a fact, because I didn't realize this until after I got arrested for graffiti, and then I began taking art classes at Palomar college, and now I'm an art major at a 4year University. I just wish I would have realized this when I was younger.

Matthew wrote on May 11, 2008 9:35 PM:I never said they were victims, Chuck. I said the money could be better spent. You first idea is silly and hypocritical. Community service is not a bad idea (however, if the taggers are currently of school age, 1000 hours would be way out of line, as it would conflict with their schooling). Just because someone is a criminal does not mean there is not reason behind their actions. We can ignore those reasons and try to patch-up the problem in vain, or--if we want to see less graffiti--we can actually try and address the cause of the problem. Narrow, simple-minded thinking will solve nothing.

dave from oceanside wrote on May 12, 2008 5:25 AM:Matthew is wrong:
Public embarrassment of the tagger would also go a long way in dissuading any further criminal activity by the taggers.

CrimeHater wrote on May 12, 2008 5:37 AM: When you get right down to it, tagging is a sign of the weak or non-existent parenting in our society today.
Kids have way more forms of entertainment these days than past generations who wouldn't think of displaying this sort of insolent behavior, so saying that crime is justified as some form of social or emotional outlet is just downright idiotic.
If proper values are taught and enforced in the home, this sort of brazen lawlessness never even begins.
Teach your children right from wrong, people - if that doesn't work, and they turn to crime, society has every right to lock them up.

Esacondido is lying wrote on May 12, 2008 6:21 AM:I have reported graffiti on the sidewalks and the privately owned mail boxes for apartments, I have informed them of the community launry in the area and it is still gang covered graffiti from last year. Maybe they meant it will be removed in 12 to 14 months. Bring back the $1,000.00 reward and post the reward notice in the neighborhhods that have the graffiti. Oh and by the way you have new graffiti in the alley of S. Juniper and 4th, just a couple of blocks from Downtown Escondido.

Taking bets wrote on May 12, 2008 6:59 AM:on how long before most of the walls along the sprinter route are totally tagged.

Gary In Murrieta wrote on May 12, 2008 7:30 AM:Murrieta has an outstanding Graffiti Removal program. I have reported about four instances in the last few years and there was always prompt removal.

It is just too bad that Caltrans will not take care of our freeways in a similar matter.

Also if you drive through Menifee just one city to the North and you will find ugly black graffiti everywhere. There is nothing artistic about this. They should follow our lead.

To Escondido is lying wrote on May 12, 2008 7:36 AM:Privately owned sidewalks and mailboxes? Community laundry area? Don't you think if you owned the apartment building and the community laundry area, it should be your responsability to remove the graffiti? Why should the city spend it's taxpayer dollars to cover up graffiti in some slumlords apartments? Have you told the guy you pay rent to?

esteban wrote on May 12, 2008 7:37 AM:SM...graffiti is not art. It's hoodlum trash. types like you are society's unwanted. you are the bottom of society.

Want to put a stop to wrote on May 12, 2008 7:48 AM:Graffiti? On all convicted minors of crimes of graffiti, besides the parents paying the fine, make the parents pull weeds on Saturdays for 12 Saturdays, you will see a decline in graffiti.

El Jefe wrote on May 12, 2008 7:56 AM:When caught these criminals should be sentenced to clean graffiti for so many weeks & maybe their parents (assuming most are under age) should be fined & forced to also clean it up. We're surrounded by bad parenting these are the same parents that never showed up at their kids open house & probably have a history of ignoring their kids whereabouts. Indifference is costly!
Maybe those so concerned should start a neighborhood, voluteer, anti-graffiti brigade & help save tax payers money.
Good luck!

When wrote on May 12, 2008 7:59 AM:the members of a community feel like trash, they want/allow their surroundings to reflect that image of themselves. Until we clean out the lowest denominators of our society, they will continue "decorating" their world to make it more like them.

With all of the graffiti wrote on May 12, 2008 8:58 AM:it feels just like TJ!

JB wrote on May 12, 2008 9:05 AM:SM wrote: "Most taggers (except for gang related graffiti) do it because they appreciate art and want to get there name out there." Are you serious? I can't consider most of what I've seen to be art. I'm guessing that you're one of these taggers. And I agree that taggers are criminals not victims. I'm all for a program where victims of taggers would be allowed to reciprocate on the house or car of the tagger.

I love it wrote on May 12, 2008 9:19 AM:when they tag the cars!

Vista Granny wrote on May 12, 2008 9:35 AM:I have to disagree with JB and others. Much of the grafitti I've seen does show artistic talent. Why do they do it? Who knows? How do you stop it? No one knows.Grafitti has been around since the beginning of time.

JB wrote on May 12, 2008 10:27 AM:Okay, so where is this artistic graffiti? What I see on walls, utility boxes, fences, sidewalks, street signs, etc. looks like childish scribbling. Would you consider the scratching on the gas pumps at AM-PM artistic?

gretch wrote on May 12, 2008 10:49 AM:Dear SM:

What have you been smoking..You call that Art? Graffiti is a veiled attempt to mark their territory not with urine but with paint. It disgusts me because the taggers would not do it to their houses but come into our neighborhood to mark their territory...Disgusting.

I love it when wrote on May 12, 2008 11:38 AM:they tag public restrooms with "For a good time call ___-______."

Jonesy wrote on May 12, 2008 12:01 PM:Oceanside has a tremendous 10 year history of aggressivly dealing with graffiti removal and the broken window theory was the foundational guidepost for that effort. This investment of funds by the City has paid great dividends!

To Vista Granny wrote on May 12, 2008 12:02 PM:You have got to be kidding, these taggers should visit your house and display their talent on YOUR house and car.
This is nothing but vandalism, but I guess you won't recognize it until it happens to you.

right on matthew wrote on May 12, 2008 12:06 PM:you're thinking of solutions to the overall problem not just something to cover up the symptoms! i applaud your thinking!

Eye of beholder wrote on May 12, 2008 12:27 PM:I agree with SM! Check your school's art class choices IF there are any. Give the taggers' opportunities to paint scenes on sides of buildings, fences, tourist signs, etc. like the chalk art thing in Carlsbad (once a year only?). Kids doodle in class, not always cause they are 'borded' but because they have talent, creativity. Denied the chance to draw and often sent to detention because they draw in class, these kids get angry and need an outlet. Of course there is a criminal element too; I'm not ignoring that, just stating that some kids can't afford little league fees, can't write long essays, but OMG, they can create amazing art work in all medium. Oh, and I do agree that anything that allows neighbors to CARE and KNOW each other, is a bonus in all this!

A lesson in futility wrote on May 12, 2008 12:29 PM:We need more community involvement. If citizens would paint over the graffiti immediately , the ignorant taggers would give up. If their tags didn`t last a day they wouldn`t take the time & expense to do it.

Doc wrote on May 12, 2008 12:33 PM:Folks...please remember that this is still the far west. If a homeowner catches some scumbag "tagging" his or her property, they should be allowed to shoor the varmint on sight, with no consequences. Good riddance to bad garbage!

KID SIX wrote on May 12, 2008 1:26 PM:I must destroy all lines!

local Vista graffiti artist wrote on May 12, 2008 2:18 PM:the ugly "tagging" is a way to get their name up...
the ugly tagging leads to getting big pieces(short for masterpiece)
the "taggers" who write on cars are considered toys..
go to underground places under b

times have changed wrote on May 12, 2008 7:35 PM:When I was a kid, if I had taken a can of spray paint to ANYTHING without my parents' permission, I'd have had my butt whipped raw. Just KNOWING that kept me from even THINKING about doing it. But I guess parents don't lay down the law anymore...

Artsyrat wrote on May 12, 2008 9:04 PM: I am a professional artist, several years ago I was involved in an anti graffiti project. We found a huge wall in Vista that was for years constantly getting tagged with gang and tagger graffiti. With the support of the City of Vista, we rented out 10x12 foot spaces for an extremely small fee, like a $1 or something like that, of this almost 200 foot long wall. After filling out an application, youth could come and paint on their rented space. Needless to say I was working with teenagers from San Diego to Riverside county, coming to paint on this wall in Vista. Most of it was graffiti art/spray paint and there were guidelines and restrictions the artists had to follow.

For awhile it was working great, graffiti artists from Vista and beyond were coming to legally paint on this wall. I met every single individual and some of the teens were intimidating to say the least, but they were exptremely appreciative of the legal wall space to show their creativity.

Unfortunately, some of the youth began to paint inapropriate artwork. I talked to the teens about it and some corrected their bad images but once the rules were visibly broken and viewed by others, more and more painters were breaking the rules. It became too difficult for me to continue and I had to stop the project. One bad apple ruined it for all the artists. As usual.

My conclusion: Parents are primarily responsible for teaching their kids guidelines of proper living. We know that many parents don't know how to do that themselves, so their kids will follow in their parents footsteps, breaking the law in some capacity.

Taggers and gang graffiti artists should be punished for their crimes, held accountable for their actions. All teens should be given positive reinforcement and acknowlegment for just being alive. It's all about balance, accountability, positive reinforcement, respect, dicipline and direction. Being a parent isn't easy, being a teen isn't easy either.

Hold your own neighbors and neighborhood businesses accountable for the graffiti on their properties. Just a couple of weeks ago there was graffiti on Linins and Things in Vista. I went in the store and told the clerk, I then kindly asked her to be sure to say to the manager to please remove quickly. They did. Just today, I approached a neighbor who has had graffiti on their fence for some time. I was very nice and just asked them if they would get rid of the graffiti on their fence. (If they don't in a week or so, I'll take a picture of it and email it to the City Graffiti task force.)

We ALL need to make it work.

Robert M wrote on May 12, 2008 9:08 PM:Subject taggers to big fines. They will learn that their behavior leads to undesirable consequences. If someone has to work for no pay or their pay goes to someone else, they won't want to continue tagging. Matthew says if they have something else to do, they won't tag. He's right.

Tagging wrote on May 12, 2008 10:57 PM:Simple minds are easily entertained!!!

wrote on May 14, 2008 3:06 PM:simple minds dont make those colorful pieces...
it takes omagination and skills...
GRAFFITI RULES!!

Harcourt wrote on May 15, 2008 8:23 AM:On September 11, 2001 University of Arizona proffesor of law Bernard E. Harcourt published an essay in the New York Times called "The Broken-Window Myth."
He presented research that showed that serious crime is caused by poverty and a lack of trust between neighbors, not by disorder. Disorder (symbolized by broken windows) is a symptom of the same problems that cause serious crime.

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