A recent rash of extensive gang-related graffiti aimed at city
buildings has caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, as city
officials rushed to clean it up before the expected rainstorms,
public works official Juan Lopez said.
A recent rash of extensive gang-related graffiti aimed at city buildings has caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, as city officials rushed to clean it up before the expected rainstorms, public works official Juan Lopez said.
The graffiti damage, which covers Dunne Park, Park Hill, the Community Center and City Hall, cost the city at least $1,500 per day, Lopez said. In addition, the clean-up takes workers away from other things such as preparing the city’s streets for the storm.
“Because of this, we had to pull them from cleaning up the gutters and clearing the street,” Lopez said. “They have to clean up.”
Lopez worried about the possible backlash from city residents.
“Some people are going to be a little upset because we had to take care of this,” he said.
Costs include the workers’ time and supplies for clean-up.
The graffiti, which police are considering gang related, starting appearing Dec. 14 at Rancher’s Feed on the corner of First and San Benito streets, police Sgt. David Westrick said.
The following day, police reported another series of graffiti in the “realm” of gang related at the Hollister Community Center, Westrick said. On Dec. 16, more graffiti was discovered at the 1000 block of San Benito Street.
And on Dec. 17, graffiti was discovered at Hollister City Hall, and the bathrooms of Dunne Park and Park Hill, Westrick and Lopez said.
All of the graffiti is being treated as if it was gang related but the tags are not the same or similar at each location, Westrick said.
“They are not similar but they all look like they are gang related,” he said.
Lopez described the graffiti as being either green or black. The tags included references to marijuana and “4:20.”
The spike in graffiti seems to be following a trend that is flowing in from South San Jose, Westrick said.
“From what I’ve been getting from South San Jose, graffiti is getting a lot worse,” he said. “There was a lot of graffiti ad we haven’t been getting that in a while.”
Police are still investigating the incidents and a possible connection between the tagging, Westrick said.
The clean-up was expected to be completed by last Friday afternoon, Lopez said.
Those with more information are urged to call the police at 636.4330 or those who wish to remain anonymous can call WeTip at (800) 78-CRIME.
