News - Kids Keep Neighborhoods Clean
County of Los Angeles Totally Against Graffiti Program Helps Kids Learn to Keep Neighborhoods Clean
(Los Angeles, CA) - The T.A.G. - Totally Against Graffiti initiative County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Graffiti Abatement Program goes to the root of the graffiti problem in Los Angeles County – Education. “That’s the key”, says Valerie Hill, Graffiti Abatement Project Manager, The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. “Most people do not know that it’s illegal.” Graffiti violations can result in a fine of up to $5,000 for only $400 of vandalism. Kids, while sometimes responsible for much of the blight, can also learn to report graffiti and take pride in their neighborhoods. That’s why a program like TAG is so very important.
TAG is a powerful reward program that empowers kids and the community to work together to fight graffiti. Posters and fliers are distributed to the schools to make students aware of awards students can win by NOT participating in graffiti, telling their friends to not participate, and by reporting graffiti if they see it.
"Stop Graffiti and We All Win" is the most important message of the T.A.G. program. The success in the T.A.G. program can be measured in the number of requests for graffiti removal services, which reached over 17,500 incidents in fiscal year 2001-2002, an almost 17% increase from the prior year. Neighborhoods can be cleaned up within 48 hours of notification in most cases, and the Totally Against Graffiti program emphasizes reporting as the most important contribution kids can make to help improve the areas where they live.
Since 1993, the County implemented a zero tolerance anti-graffiti effort. Ten years ago, less than four hundred graffiti clean up requests were received, and graffiti was everywhere. While graffiti incidents have increased over the years, The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Graffiti Abatement Program has been extremely successful in rapidly removing graffiti, which slows the rate of increase and aggressively reduces the visibility of graffiti.
T.A.G. - Totally Against Graffiti is sponsored by County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in association with The Department of Public Works Graffiti Abatement Program. Working together with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, TAG educates students and the community about the costs and consequences of graffiti.
T.A.G. - Totally Against Graffiti hopes to develop students into active community members with pride in their neighborhoods. Local schools are using the TAG program to launch their own individual clean up days with parents.
The successful pilot program of T.A.G was launched in January of this year with over 180 elementary schools in areas targeted for graffiti relief and abatement. TAG engages students in
discussions about the expense and repercussions of graffiti, so youngsters can feel empowered to improve their surroundings, and grow up to be citizens making contributions to their communities instead of vandals who deface their neighborhoods and attract other criminal elements. Students can get rewards for helping their schools reach the best record of reporting graffiti. T.A.G. sponsors provide participating schools with free pizza, cookies, fun park tickets and other powerful rewards for helping to clean up graffiti.A special phone number for reporting graffiti, 1-800-675-4357, has been operating for several years. Depending on the area or structure affected, the hotline can notify other agencies, such as CalTrans, the MTA, and 88 local city agencies. The reward for graffiti related tips can reach $1,000 for successful prosecution of vandals, however the best reward is rapid removal of graffiti from neighborhood walls and buildings.
The T.A.G. - Totally Against Graffiti program has partnered with local businesses and corporate sponsors to spread the word about graffiti abatement. Each student at participating elementary schools is urged to work with their parents to complete a special homework book with an anti-graffiti message. Parents work with their children to complete the graffiti homework, and also are asked to become aware of their own neighborhoods and to ask their kids if they are involved in graffiti.
T.A.G. - Totally Against Graffiti reaches out to impressionable elementary school students, to create the right perception of graffiti abatement and community awareness before they reach the difficult middle and high school years. Most importantly, T.A.G. makes a difference a difference by creating a program that everyone can learn from while having fun.
"We hope to raise the number of reported and removed graffiti incidents by another 17% percent again this year," says the Graffiti Abatement Program's Hill. "T.A.G. - Totally Against Graffiti" puts the kids on our team."
Contact: Valerie Hill
Graffiti Abatement Program Manager
County of Los Angeles
(626) 458-4091
