Hollister
– Local police officers and community members will be heading
out in force this weekend to clean up the uncouth graffiti
blemishing city walls and fences in an effort to put a damper on
the city’s gang problem.
Hollister – Local police officers and community members will be heading out in force this weekend to clean up the uncouth graffiti blemishing city walls and fences in an effort to put a damper on the city’s gang problem.
Saturday morning’s graffiti abatement program, organized and sponsored by the Hollister Police Department, will target several sites throughout the city that have become hot spots for graffiti and gang tagging, police spokeswoman Rosie Betanio said Thursday. It will be the second graffiti eradication effort of the Hollister Police Department this year.
One site, a large fence by the wrecking yard near San Juan Road, is nearly completely covered in graffiti and has proven to be an unsightly welcome sign for motorists entering Hollister from the west.
“It’s a huge project, one of several we hope to finish up this weekend,” Betanio said. “And we can always use more help.”
Police and volunteers will also focus their combined efforts to get rid of graffiti on and around the storage facility near the intersection of Hillcrest and Industrial Road. Betanio said that area is frequently subject to gang graffiti.
The purpose of the cleanup project is twofold. It is an opportunity for locals to get to know and understand the police officers who protect their families and homes, and is an aesthetic facelift for city facilities, Betanio said.
“It gives us a better city,” she said. “And it also tells gang members that we won’t tolerate their graffiti.”
Volunteers should be prepared to paint and wear appropriate clothing. After the morning cleanup, lunch and drinks will be served, Betanio said. For more information about how to get involved, call the Hollister Police Department at 831-636-4330.
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
