Hollister
– Local residents are encouraged to put on some old rags and go
elbow to elbow as the Hollister Police Department holds graffiti
abatement efforts on Saturday.
Hollister – Local residents are encouraged to put on some old rags and go elbow to elbow as the Hollister Police Department holds graffiti abatement efforts on Saturday.
Volunteers will meet at 9am Saturday at the end of South Street in the City Corporation Yard to help fight graffiti, said Rosie Betanio, a Hollister Police Department spokeswoman. Volunteers include police officers, individual citizens and community groups, Betanio said. The citywide painting is the fourth graffiti abatement day the police department has sponsored in 2006. Graffiti is everywhere in Hollister, but some areas, such as the storage facility on Industrial Drive and the wrecking yard on San Juan Road, are favored spots of taggers, Betanio said.
“They want where people travel through the most,” Betanio said.
Graffiti comes from gang members looking to claim turf and regular taggers looking to make a name for themselves, Betanio said.
Gang-related graffiti in Hollister is typically associated with the Norteño and Sureño gangs and contains ‘XIII,’ ‘Sureño’ or ’13,’ for Sureños and ‘XIV,’ ‘Norteño’ or ’14’ for Norteños, Betanio said.
“Regular taggers you can’t read,” added Betanio, to distinguish from gang activity.
Property owners are encouraged to report graffiti for their own good. Municipal code prohibits property owners from allowing graffiti to stay on their property.
“Once they have been issued a notice, I believe they have three days to remove the graffiti from their property,” Betanio said.
Anyone wishing to help out and those with extra supplies lying around are encouraged to donate materials such as paint brushes, rollers, gloves and rags, Betanio said. The police department will provide paint, beverages and lunch for volunteers. The efforts should take approximately three hours and lunch will be served at noon, Betanio said.
Volunteers younger than 18 will need parental waivers to participate unless accompanied by a guardian, Betanio said.
Although some areas are re-tagged within a week of the abatement day, some areas remain graffiti free for weeks or months, Betanio said.
And just because taggers strike before the abatement paint is nearly dry, the work Saturday will help make a statement.
“We’re not going to accept graffiti in Hollister,” Betanio said.
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating supplies is encouraged to call the police department at 831-636-4330 or to report graffiti for clean up.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected].
