City of Glendale - News

Glendale Sprays Anti-Graffiti Message to Taggers Via the Airwaves

A group of Glendale teenagers has a message for other teens: Put the markers and spray paint away!

The Glendale Police Department, Glendale’s city TV station Glendale 11 and the Glendale Mayor Youth Advisory Commission (MYAC) have joined forces on an anti-graffiti campaign. The PSA video stars Glendale MYAC members, who are all high school students in Glendale.

The campaign was developed to increase awareness from teen to teen that tagging is a serious crime that impacts everyone in a community. Over the past year, the Glendale Graffiti Busters have cleaned up 15,000 graffiti sites and Glendale Police has made more than 52 arrests as a result of graffiti tagging.

"Prevention begins with educating teens and their parents about the impact of graffiti," says Laurie Berg Sapp, Glendale 11 Station Manager. “The video combines with Glendale’s existing anti-graffiti program to educate the community, and hopefully, more people will provide information that leads to an arrest or identification of a graffiti vandal.”

About the PSA and the Message

The two-minute PSA, produced by Glendale 11, is aimed at preventing graffiti vandalism by informing teens of the penalties they face if caught. Taggers who are convicted for graffiti may receive the following:

• loss of driving privileges until 18 years old
• time in jail
• one-year probation
• 80 hours of removing graffiti
• up to $10,000 criminal restitution
• $1,000 fine
• parents of minors who commit graffiti are liable for up to $10,000 criminal restitution

“Graffiti tends to be on the rise when the school year ends,” says Glendale Police Officer Randy Stewart. “It's also important for parents to realize the signs of a tagger.”

Parents are encouraged to look for the following signs:

• Paint stains on child’s clothing
• Paint or permanent marker stains on hands
• A child carries tools that could be used for etching glass such as hole punchers, glass cutters, screwdrivers, metal scribes and other sharp objects
• A child has large quantities of magic markers, shoe polish or other drawing devices
• A child has graffiti magazines or flyers
• A child has displays of graffiti or tags on clothing, binders, backpacks and other personal items

Where to Watch!

The video is being shown on Glendale 11. Glendale 11 airs on Cox and Qwest Channel 11, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For a complete television guide, click here. You can also watch the PSA online through our eMedia page. Click here to go there now.

Reporting Graffiti

To report graffiti, call 623-930-3000. For graffiti removal, call 623-930-3080.

The Glendale Police Department also offers an online Graffiti reporting form and information page. Users can view photos that represent some of the existing graffiti incidents that the Police Department is currently pursuing. Additionally, if you recognize any of the tags shown in the photos you can submit a tip online. Click here to view the graffiti page now.