HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.6 GraffitiAbatement
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CITY OF DUBLIN
AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: September 12, 1994
SUBJECT: Graffiti Abatement
(P pared by: Bo Barker, Management Assistant)
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize Staff to pursue formation of a Graffiti
Community Task Force.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: No additional resources required at this time.
DESCRIPTION: The City of Dublin has experienced a substantial growth
in vandalism costs, particularly related to graffiti. The cost to the City
of vandalism, including graffiti has grown from $6,566 in Fiscal Year 1992-
93 to $30,388 in Fiscal Year 1993-94. These costs represent damage only to
City owned property and do not include the costs of eradicating graffiti on
commercial and residential properties, schools, etc.
The problem of graffiti is not unique to Dublin in that other cities in the
Valley and throughout California have experienced increased graffiti
activity.
The City'S current policy with respect to graffiti damage to public
property is to remove the graffiti as quickly as possible. With respect to
graffiti on private property, the City's only current tool in dealing with
this problem is the Property Maintenance Ordinance. The provisions of this
ordinance are not very effective in dealing with graffiti because
substantial time is required to give the property owner to clean the
graffiti up, the City can only act on a complaint, and the private property
owner is actually penalized through this enforcement process for the
problem in which the property owner is usually a victim. The City's
Business Task Force recently reviewed the Property Maintenance Ordinance
and felt that the ordinance was too cumbersome to be effective in the
removal of graffiti.
The City's Police Department has been very aggressive in identifying those
involved in graffiti activity. Since June of 1993, Dublin police have
apprehended twenty-seven individuals involved in this activity. In
addition,'Dublin Police Services has implemented some educational programs
through its Crime Prevention Unit.
Graffiti is not just a City problem, it is a community problem. In order
to effectively combat graffiti, the City must work with schools,
businesses, and other interested community groups to develop a united front
to deal with eradication, education, and more effective detection and
enforcement. It is therefore recommended that the City Council authorize
the City Manager's Office to develop a Community Graffiti Task Force which
consists of Police and Public Works representatives, Chamber of Commerce,
Dublin Unified School District, and other interested community groups for
the purpose of making recommendations to the City Council on how to
effectively come to grips with the growing problem of graffiti.
The City Manager has made preliminary contact with the Chamber of Commerce,
the Dublin Unified School Superintendent, and some representatives of the
business community who have indicated a willingness to participate.
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COPIES TO:
CITY CLERK
FILE r O]S l310 ~;{lDl
ITEM NO.
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