SAN ANTONIO -- A neighborhood on the city s north side is fighting back against graffiti.
Dozens of local businesses and even homes have been hit by taggers. In response to this troubling trend, neighbors want cameras installed on their streets.
Residents say a number of businesses in the area have been hit by taggers at least 30 times so far this year. The community now sees cameras as the only hope to deter such action and catch these vandals.
That's not art, that's just plain old criminal activity, said Northwest Los Angeles Heights Community Association President Raymond Powlesson.
Powlesson said vandals have targeted his Northwest Los Angeles Heights community the last couple of years. So far this year, he said vandals have tagged some 50 businesses on a weekly basis.
The owners of the property and the managers of this business didn't want that on there. In fact, they've spent several man hours to repaint over the previous tag, Powlesson said.
And with each new day, covering up the graffiti has become and unwanted, laborious chore.
We come back in the morning, and we have to paint it. Then the next morning it's tagged, and we have to paint it again. Then the next morning it's tagged, Master Care Car Center Manager Wilbarto Rodriguez said.
The vandals have also made homes throughout the community their canvass.
It's not a mural. It's not art work. It's just criminal activity, Powlesson said.
Powlesson, who also serves as the neighborhood association president, wants to install cameras in hot spots to catch these vandals in the act. These cameras would come from the San Antonio Police SAFE Program to help neighborhood associations crack down on blight.
The cameras can help a whole lot more. We could sit down and actually watch one particular area, Powlesson said.
Powlesson plans to meet with the city s Graffiti Abatement coordinator to devise a plan to combat the graffiti problem in his neighborhood.
