Phoenix Supports New Measure Aimed at Taggers’ Parents

City of Phoenix representatives are lauding a new state measure signed by Gov. Janet Napolitano earlier this month that targets parents of juveniles convicted of criminal graffiti activity.

The measure, House Bill 2701, gives court judges the discretion to require the parent or guardian of a juvenile convicted of committing graffiti to assist the juvenile in community service projects if the parent “provided the juvenile with the means to commit criminal damages.”

The new law, which takes effect in October, follows a state law written and introduced last year by the city’s Neighborhood Services Department (NSD) that forced mandatory fines for juveniles found guilty of criminal graffiti activity. That law places a minimum fine of $540 and a maximum of $1,800.

“Most parents are excellent providers who take seriously the actions of their children,” said Jerome Miller, Neighborhood Services director. “Unfortunately, some choose to turn a blind eye to their children’s questionable behavior, and that’s why we fully support House Bill 2701.”

Last year, the city’s Graffiti Busters cleaned a record 95,000 tagged sites. 

Graffiti Fact Sheet
Through its Graffiti Busters program, the Neighborhood Services Department has 14 full-time employees working seven days a week in 10-hour shifts to clean graffiti throughout the city.

The Graffiti Busters program costs taxpayers $2.3 million annually. Citywide, department representatives estimate that more than $6 million is spent to clean graffiti on behalf of other city departments, local utilities and other governmental entities.

NSD has installed more than 50 flash cameras throughout the city in heavily tagged areas in an attempt to photograph graffiti vandals in action.

The Phoenix Police Department has three, full-time detectives assigned to identify, apprehend and help prosecute graffiti vandals. Police arrest an average of 40 graffiti vandals each month.

Under a new state law, juveniles convicted for graffiti are now fined between $300 and $1,000, plus pay an 80 percent surcharge for court costs. This translates into a minimum fine of $540 and a maximum fine of $1,800.

Approximately $200,000 has been handed out in graffiti reward funds since the program was established in 1995.

Dan Grubb Ford joined forces with the Graffiti Busters program, employing a full-time staff member who cleans tagged sites in the Maryvale area. NSD provides the paint and paint-sprayer to Dan Grubb.

Graffiti Busters has a free, tool-lending program that provides free paint, tools and training to neighborhood groups, schools and businesses interested in cleaning graffiti in their areas. For more information, call 602-495-0323.

Real estate officials indicate that neighborhoods tagged with graffiti see property values drop by as much as 15 percent.

Among Phoenix residents who have joined the city’s graffiti-busting efforts are a 76-year-old senior in Maryvale and a 15-year-old in central/east Phoenix.

Several local Eagle Scout troops routinely conduct graffiti cleanups.

If residents see a graffiti vandal in action, they are urged to call 9-1-1.