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Contact: Graffiti Removal (915) 621-6750 In the Spotlight Profile: Anti-Graffiti Team Keeping our community beautiful isn't the charge of one person alone. We all can do our part. But for this group of individuals, it is their job. The Street Department's Anti-Graffiti Team works day in and day out to do just that - Keep our community beautiful. "This is no eight to five hour job," said Fred Pacheco, Coordinator of the Anti-Graffiti Program. By ten in the morning, Pacheco already has eight service requests for graffiti removal. This extremely active program was established in 1996 for public service. Originally, graffiti removal performed by the City was on City property only. "I thought this would be something different," said Pacheco about the development of the program. "We had to build up the program from scratch. It was a lot of research." But once the program took off, it hit the ground running. The anti-graffiti program works to alleviate and eradicate graffiti throughout the entire City! Some primary areas that the program has typically seen hit with graffiti are homes, businesses, spill ways, vacant lots, parks and a real hot spot for graffiti - Alleys. The program does work extensively with police to help with residents who call 911 on graffiti issues, such as vandalism. The team will work to clean up the vandalism as a priority job and will also assist police with background info they have on file (i.e. maps, site photos, info on specific taggers) to help in their investigation. "We do have control now that we have the program," said Pacheco. "We can tell you what the hot spots are around the City." This citywide task is taken on by a 10-person team, including Pacheco and Robert Rivera, Pacheco's unofficial assistant who helps with maintaining much of the team's data. "One person them self couldn't do it," said Rivera. Each site cleaned by the team can take anywhere from five minutes to one to two hours, depending on the surface, how densely the graffiti area is filled in, etc. "Everything that the team does we have to input - what they did, materials they used, how long they were at the jobsite," said Rivera. The program also focuses on different core services, such as routine clean-ups of structures and buildings around the City, environmental issues, as they are able to identify where some areas of waste are during their routes, and also, public education. Pacheco regularly frequents schools, neighborhood meetings and senior centers to promote what can contribute to an effective community graffiti program - The Three E's: Eradication (Abatement), Enforcement and Education. Overall, the effect the program has had on the community has been a positive one. "There are areas that have stopped and it doesn't happen everyday, but it doesn't completely go away," said Rivera. "It's not as obvious as other cities, but if we weren't here, you would see it everywhere." The best part or accomplishment of all? When the community "says thank you for being there for us when it comes to graffiti removal." And thankful we are! Facts to Know: Anti-Graffiti Team - August 2005: · 125 call-in's by the public (service requests) · Over 94,000 square feet cleaned · Over $34,000 spent on graffiti eradication - Normally, the majority of sites cleaned are identified by the Anti-Graffiti team while on their routes (approx. 80%) - Average number of sites cleaned per month (FY05): 738 - To report graffiti, call the Program's hotline: 621-6789
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