Graffiti Clean-Up Efforts

It looks like Willow Glen’s graffiti problem may be getting worse. And right on the eve of San Jose’s official “Lend a Hand Week” coordinated by San Jose’s Anti-Graffiti Program. SJ Metblogs elaborates:

The week of January 12-17 is the third of four weeks in San Jose’s volunteer campaign against graffiti, called “Lend a Hand”. Volunteers are encouraged to get together that week and go out into the community to eliminate graffiti.

The city will supply materials such as paint-removing solvent, safety goggles, gloves, sponges and rags for volunteers to use. These materials come in an anti-graffiti “kit” that is available any time from the city Anti-Graffiti Program.

When I stopped by today to pick up my anti-graffiti kit, city staffer Paul J. Gonzalez, also an artist who’s painted numerous murals around downtown, offered tips on removing various kinds of graffiti. For example, to remove slap-tags, or stickers, he recommends just using water and vigorous scrubbing, rather than solvent. When numerous graffiti clean-ups have already disturbed the paint on a surface, he recommended just repainting, and he offered us a gallon of “city beige” paint that matches the color used for many city buildings.

These clean-up efforts can’t come soon enough. Over the past few weeks, WGx has received reports of several graffiti tags, including such famous WG locations as the alley next to Vin Santo and the eastern wall of the future Fresh & Easy store at Bird & Minnesota. And this week, Gary Garchar posted a picture on his Lincoln Court blog, and taggers even hit a residence not far from the corner of Malone & Lincoln

Property owners are required by law to remove (or paint over) graffiti right away after its discovery. And that seems to happen quickly across WG, for the most part.