Score: +2 (2/0/0)
Ventura County Grand Jury • 2011-2012

Graffiti in Ventura County Cities

Published: May 16, 2012 17 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 18 findings

F01
Graffiti vandalism is a crime. (FA-08, FA-09)
No recommendations for this finding
F02
With the exception of Ojai, graffiti represents a significant financial impact in all the other Cities. (FA-11)
No recommendations for this finding
F03
The eight cities reporting direct costs for abatement programs, reported total costs in excess of $1.5 million in FY 2010/2011. (FA-11)
No recommendations for this finding
F04
Intangible factors make the overall cost of graffiti abatement impossible to calculate. (FA-12) Graffiti in Ventura County Cities 5
No recommendations for this finding
F05
The VCOG has yet to follow up on any of the roundtable recommendations established during the 2007 summit. (FA-14)
No recommendations for this finding
F06
There is no "one size fits all" graffiti abatement program for the Cities. The Cities’ abatement plans vary. (FA-16)
No recommendations for this finding
F07
Only the city ordinances for the cities of Port Hueneme and Santa Paula contain provisions for the city to petition the sentencing court for the delay or suspension of driving privileges for those convicted of graffiti vandalism, as allowed for in the state vehicle code. (FA-17) [Ref-04] [Ref-07]
No recommendations for this finding
F08
Some of the graffiti abatement programs utilize volunteer groups. (FA-18) Recommendations
No recommendations for this finding
F09
Penal Code section 594, in part, states: (a) Every person who maliciously commits any of the following acts with respect to any real or personal property not his or her own, in cases other than those specified by state law, is guilty of vandalism: (1) Defaces with graffiti or other inscribed material. Graffiti in Ventura County Cities 3 (2) Damages. (3) Destroys. Penal Code section 594 also provides the criminal penalties for violation of the code. [Ref-04]
No recommendations for this finding
F10
As indicated in the responses to the Graffiti Survey, Attachment 1, all Cities, with the exception of Ojai, reported graffiti as a significant source of financial impact on their city budget.
Related Recommendations (1)
R01
The Cities should aggressively pursue the recovery of costs from the individual(s) convicted of graffiti vandalism. (FI-02, FI-03)
F11
The financial impact on city budgets for graffiti removal for FY 2010–2011 is shown in the table below. The City of Moorpark did not specifically budget or track costs for graffiti removal, but reported it as a fiscal impact in their response. City 2010/11 Camarillo $ 69,682.00 Fillmore $ 43,528.00 Oxnard $ 739,825.00 Port Hueneme $ 120,000.00 Santa Paula $ 102,235.00 Simi Valley $ 227,462.00 Thousand Oaks $ 91,830.00 Ventura $ 150,004.00
Related Recommendations (1)
R01
The Cities should aggressively pursue the recovery of costs from the individual(s) convicted of graffiti vandalism. (FI-02, FI-03)
F12
There are other costs associated with graffiti vandalism. They are: • homeowner costs - the California Realtors Association estimates purchase prices for homes decreased 20% in areas that are victimized by graffiti vandalism • societal costs are the hardest to quantify. Decreased perception of safety, lower community pride, at risk youth, are all effects of vandalism in a community • neighborhood and business impacts are as follows: • intimidates residents • scares away customers • discourages tourism • invites street gangs and other vandals • attracts crime in general [Ref-01]
No recommendations for this finding
F13
The 2007 VCOG Graffiti Summit Summary described graffiti offenders as “. . . typically young males ranging in age from 15 to 23.” It further stated that “Statistically, of that group, the majority are 16 years of age and younger." [Ref-05] 4 Graffiti in Ventura County Cities
No recommendations for this finding
F14
A review of the VCOG agenda/minutes, posted on their website, revealed no information indicating that the VCOG has followed up on any of the roundtable recommendations established during the 2007 summit.
Related Recommendations (2)
R02
The VCOG should schedule a follow-up to the 2007 Graffiti Summit for the purpose of updating and/or completing the roundtable recommendations previously established and to allow participants to share their current "best practices." (FI-05)
R03
The VCOG should expand summit participation to include all entities that may experience graffiti damage. In addition to the 2007 Graffiti Summit participants, the following should be included: various volunteer organizations; railroads within the County; public transportation entities; and other special districts in the County. (FI-05)
F15
Each of the Cities has either a City Ordinance and/or a separate control/abatement plan to address graffiti vandalism.
No recommendations for this finding
F16
Graffiti control/abatement plans typically provide for some or all of the following elements: • graffiti hotline • graffiti taskforce • timely removal of graffiti • educational materials for both children and their parents • information regarding the potential penalties for graffiti violations • provide graffiti removal kits to volunteer groups • tips for graffiti prevention
No recommendations for this finding
F17
Each city has an ordinance addressing graffiti abatement. These ordinances contain some or all of the following elements: • fines and/or incarceration • restitution costs • community services in lieu of fines • rewards for information leading to arrest and conviction • parental liability • suspension or delay of driving privileges (Att-02)
No recommendations for this finding
F18
A volunteer group, Sheriff's and Youth Graffiti Removal Incident Team (SAY GRIT), has provided invaluable services to the Ventura County Watershed Protection District by the removal of graffiti in flood-control facilities within the Moorpark area. [Ref-06] Findings
Related Recommendations (1)
R04
The Cities should enlist the assistance of volunteer groups within the County for graffiti abatement. Such groups might include: Sheriff's and Youth Graffiti Removal Incident Team; Keep America Beautiful; and various civic groups. (FI-07)

Agency Responses 2

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

No Responses Found 10

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

Camarillo City
County of Ventura Agency
Fillmore City
Ojai City
Oxnard City
Port Hueneme City
San Buenaventura City
Santa Paula City
Simi Valley City
Thousand Oaks City