Romeo Garza, of Sanger Paint Supply, and the Sanger District Chamber of Commerce have been collaborating and working extra hard to find ways to rid Sanger of graffiti.  With the help of friends from Frazee Paint and Eco-Solutions, they were able to get approximately 240 gallons of paint donated. They will be distributing the paint in front of Sanger Paint Supply on Friday, April 17^th and Saturday, April 18^th from 9 AM-4 PM to Sanger residents/business owners who have been affected by graffiti.  The best part about this is that the paint is completely FREE!    

Prior to the pick-up days, individuals will need to come into the Chamber Office and fill out a brief application.  They have been asked to bring: a photo that shows vandalism (photo will not be returned), proof of Sanger residence (by water bill, graffiti citation, etc.), and a color sample of their building so that the paint can be matched exactly to its original color. 

The paint distribution made the Sanger Herald and included is the link in case you want to check it out.  It will be posted on the site until this Thursday, April 16th.  http://thesangerherald.com/  The effort falls on the heels of a recent town hall meeting on graffiti hosted by the City of Sanger.

Would love to hear your comments and experience with this great opportunity - did you participate in the free paint giveaway? Post a comment

For more information on tackling graffiti - visit these previous blog posts

Reporting Graffiti Information

Is Your Child A Tagger

Governor Passes Graffiti Legislation

Graffiti is not always gang related, but it is often an indicator that gang activity may be prevalent or a growing problem. I recently was made aware of a gang-related graffiti incident in Nevada that resulted in two deaths. You can visit the article here http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9286714

I also thought this would be a good time to look back on a few blog posts that focused on graffiti. The first includes contact information for Fresno County residents to report graffiti. The numbers and websites are listed by city as well as information for the County Sheriff if you are not a city resident. To see this post click here.

The second posting is in regards to understanding different types of graffiti and what it can mean for a community. To see this post click here. For additional blog posts related to graffiti - just type in 'graffiti' into the search tool and hit enter.

Happy Reading.

I have been having lots of conversations lately about graffiti - how to prevent it, how to get rid of it quickly, how to decipher it, and the list goes on. It is important to remember that not all graffiti is gang-related, and the distinction is important; however, any graffiti in a neighborhood indicates there may be a low attachment to that neighborhood by residents and people who don't care what happens - so criminals? gangs? do as you please. While this may not be the reality, graffiti along with abandoned buildings, broken windows, etc. can definitely send out that perception.

The tagger poster below has been made available by the City of Santa Ana, in Orange County, California.
There is also a PDF version so you can print and distribute it to concerned citizens.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Graffiti Vandalism Legislation

Keeping California's Streets, Neighborhoods Safe and Clean

Continuing his commitment to public safety, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed legislation to hold offenders accountable for crimes of vandalism and to remove graffiti from California's streets and neighborhoods. AB 1767 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) mandates community service for a person who has committed a criminal act of graffiti vandalism, and AB 2609 by Assemblymember Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles) requires defendants convicted of graffiti vandalism to clean up or repair the defaced or damaged property.

full press release Graffiti_Legislation_7-30-08.doc (26.00 kb)

http://blog.pennlive.com/lehighvalley/2007/12/graffiti_post_for_sunday_with.html

This link is something you may find interesting. It includes a brief video on deciphering gang grafitti.

It is also an example of just one of the many online sources of information. I would love to hear some of your suggestions for information sources.

Many people do not realize the role graffiti plays in supporting a gang lifestyle and diminishing the quality of life for residents. Here is some 411 (thats information for you baby-boomers).

1. Gangs will use graffiti to identify themselves and/or their territory/turf. It's used to communicate a message: to show allegiance, as a show of power, or to challenge rivals. It is generally in black paint, but can be in their gang colors or whatever color is available at the time.

2. Gang graffiti is also used to intimidate a neighborhood and identify a gang-controlled area.

3. Graffiti can also be committed by taggers or tagging crews. Tagging is often different from gang graffiti in that it is more stylized and taggers consider themselves artist. Some adults do not believe they have to worry as much about graffiti (especially from taggers); however when a neighborhood is marked by graffiti, that graffiti indicates territorial dominance, and the entire area and its residents become potential targets for violence, because sometimes rival gangs identify everyone in a neighborhood as part of the gang. Additionally tag-bangers (those prone to violence in defense of their tag) may hit innocent bystanders by mistake.

For more information on graffiti check out this article located on the National Alliance of Gang Investigator's Associations website http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Graffi.htm.

So... what is the simple way you can make a big difference: When you see graffiti contact local law enforcement to have it recorded and removed. Here is a list of law enforcement agencies and numbers to call:

County Unincorporated Areas, San Joaquin, Mendota, & Orange Cove - Fresno Sheriff's Department 559.262.4236 or report online here.

Clovis 559.324.2426 or report online here.

Coalinga 559.935.2313

Firebaugh 559.659.3051

Fresno 559.621.TAGS (8247)  or report online here.

Fowler 559.834.3254

Huron 559.945.2348

Kerman 559.846.6633

Kingsburg 559.897.2931

Parlier 559.646.6600

Reedley 559.637.4250

Sanger 559.876.8521

Selma 559.896.2525