San Francisco officials bring focus
to anti-graffiti efforts

By Ari Barak, Bay City News Service

January 22, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - City officials joined more than 100 community members Saturday to address an "escalating crisis'' in graffiti vandalism throughout San Francisco, a Department of Public Works spokeswoman said.

Saturday morning's anti-graffiti "huddle'' brought together members of the city's Graffiti Advisory Board and DPW, as well as volunteer graffiti removers, to share information about graffiti enforcement, removal, education and outreach efforts in the community, according to the DPW's Christine Falvey.

"The city is fighting graffiti vandalism on a daily basis, but we cannot win this war without the help of property owners, businesses, neighborhood organizations and motivated individuals, who take pride in how their city looks,'' DPW Deputy Director and GAB Chair Mohammed Nuru said.

Mayor Gavin Newsom agreed that graffiti is a problem all over the city.

"As we step up our enforcement and explore artistic alternatives to graffiti, it is absolutely imperative that the community engage in the process, so we can cut the cost of cleanup for all of the city's tax-paying residents,'' Newsom said.

The DPW's Graffiti Watch program, started in 2005, has approximately 80 members who are monitoring more than 300 city blocks, removing graffiti from utility poles, signs, trash receptacles and other areas, Falvey said.

For more information about the Graffiti Watch volunteer program, call the DPW at (415) 28 CLEAN or (415) 641-2625.

Copyright © 2007 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

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