HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/05/2008 03C Citizen Service Request Response RE: Graffiti Gang Problems n r 1",1 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
r . �
i ,� 3 Office of Neighborhood Development Services
� � 112 South Eighth Street Yakima, Washington 98901 •
�°•o11GATEV (509) 575 -6101 • Fax (509) 575 -6176
July 21, 2008
Pam Jette
702 N. 6 Street
Yakima, WA 98901
Dear Ms. Jette,
This letter is in reply to your recent concern to the City of Yakima expressing your frustration
and anger in dealing with the setbacks attributed to the vandalism of graffiti that has been
perpetrated at your place of residence.
First let me say that we at the City of Yakima are just as frustrated and angry at the vandalism
that strikes each of us in our community.
In 2003 the City of Yakima Neighborhood Development Services began a "Paint Out Graffiti
Program ". This program was designed to help residents cover over graffiti as quickly as possible •
in an effort to extinguish the "Graffiti message" that these vandals were attempting to display to
one another. The hope was by covering up the graffiti as quickly as possible, it would send a
message to the vandals that their efforts were fruitless and were quickly wiped out, as well as
removing the property owner from a possible retaliation position by the vandal for covering over
any gang related messages. At first we received wide and numerous support from property
owners within the city limits of Yakima. Not only in the form of verbal encouragement, but
property owners were quick to not only paint over their own properties, but to also help their
elderly and disabled neighbors paint over their graffiti as well.
The whole point of the program at that time was for the city to help its citizens catch up on their
graffiti. By painting over the graffiti quickly, and allowing the property owner to come back at a
later date, match their existing paint color and cover over the "graffiti covered patch of paint" the
city had painted. This happened readily enough to begin with, but after several months, public
opinion to the problem seemed to change. And after about a year of tapering public support and
cooperation, we began to see a rapid decline in citizen and property owner participation in taking
care of the graffiti on their own properties. Quickly public opinion turned to one of "It's a City of
Yakima problem, and we'll let them deal with it."
The City of Yakima has just over eighty thousand (80,000) people, we have a police force that
does their utmost to "Protect and Serve" by dealing with a wide variety of petty criminals to
hardened crimes against people and property. The Yakima Police have one full time officer that
works with other city departments on graffiti. The City of Yakima has one full time employee at
Neighborhood Development Services that supervises various groups of volunteers to paint over •
Yakima
heb
'I
1994
graffiti. But please keep in mind the city of Yakima is comprised of approximately eighty
thousand (80,000) people. Most of which are good honest upright citizens like you, trying their
best to keep Yakima a wonderful place to live and work. But there are a handful of individuals
out there, from Yakima and the surrounding area that are committed to vandalism and care
nothing for each other's property or anyone else's.
I assure you, we at the City of Yakima are working within the various departments doing our
utmost in trying to combat this vandalism. The Yakima Police Department has a gang task force
as well as a specific graffiti officer trying their best in catching and apprehending these vandals.
Neighborhood Development Services has a full time graffiti employee that schedules and works
with a number of volunteers to paint over graffiti. The Refuse department does their best to keep
their dumpsters clean of graffiti. The Streets department does their best in replacing and
cleaning street signs vandalized by graffiti.
The City of Yakima budgets money every year within each department to address this type of
vandalism to the best of their ability, but we are in drastic need of public support. Not only
words or encouragement from citizens, but with participation by residents such as yourself, to
take on the frustration and anger that each of us face, and help us fight this vandalism problem.
I encourage you to not let frustration and anger get the best of you. Help us continue to fight this
problem by continuing to address graffiti on your property to the best of your ability. We at the
City are ever facing growing budget constraints, and (I'm sorry to say) ever increasing numbers
of citizens that continue to look to the city to solve this growing social problem and yet, cannot
or will not take care of their own properties. Please don't give up in anger and frustration and
add to our burden.
I would welcome any suggestions that might help tackle this problem, and would be more than
happy to meet with you or others to talk about some solutions to this vandalism that plagues us
all. I may also be able to help you work with Yakima Police Department in forming a
Neighborhood Watch Program in your neighborhood.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter further, please feel free to contact
me.
Sincerely,
Archie M. Matthews
Acting Manager of Neighborhood Development Services
1110
r
Paint Out Graffiti Program Summary S
(to date)
7/09/08
Year: 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Locations painted: 5052 5426 4006 6292 4350 6475
Gallons of paint used: 1331 1246 669 1001 675 1382
Volunteer hours: 600 1008 1272 6953 2901 2826
In 2003 the City of Yakima hired a Rehabilitation Assistant to work the Paint Out Graffiti
Program full time. This position gathered paint and equipment, scheduled volunteers,
solicited permission slips from property owners, assisted and supervised volunteers in the
painting over of Graffiti for the entire City of Yakima within the city limits.
Currently the City of Yakima has no full time Rehabilitation Assistant working graffiti,
but is utilizing the Operations Supervisor, Senior Rehab Technician and Department
Assistant III in scheduling and supervising volunteers and is currently serving the City of
Yakima and an estimated population of 80,000 plus citizens with their paint out graffiti
•
needs.
Up until 2005, the City of Yakima paid for paint at $10 per gallon, but since the spring of
2005, the City of Yakima entered into a mutually beneficial agreement with Yakima
County for the disposal of recycled paint to be used by Neighborhood Development
Services for their Paint Out Graffiti Program, thereby saving the county $250.00 per 50
gallon drum in hazardous waste disposal fees.
Neighborhood Development Services (ONDS) works closely with YPD in painting over
graffiti at key locations as quickly as possible to enable officers to monitor graffiti
activity in given areas. ONDS also helps to locate and mount the surveillance cameras
owned by YPD that are used in surveillance.
As reported to the City Council Public Safety Committee by. Lt. Gary Belles of the
Yakima Police Department on March 31, 2008: " From February 2007 through February
2008 a total of 593 graffiti cases were reported to the Yakima Police Department. One
hundred forty three (143) charges were subsequently filed against suspects identified as
committing these offenses, for an overall arrest rate of 24.1 %."
ONDS works with local high schools, junior high schools as well as grade schools, in
providing community service projects in painting over graffiti.
110
- ONDS works with multiple church organizations, public and civic service organizations
in supplying them with supervision, equipment, paint and supplies thru the cities Paint
Out Graffiti Program.
ONDS works with Juvenile Justice to provide troubled youth with fulfilling their court
ordered community service hours, while working closely with the court system and
probation officers.
ONDS works with People for People thru their job training program in providing
meaningful work experience to their participants while painting out graffiti and serving
the community.
ONDS works with Northwest Community Action Center (NCAC) in helping their work
program develop young people in gaining work skills and work ethics, by supplying
supervision, equipment, paint and supplies while volunteering with the City of Yakima's
Paint Out Graffiti Program.
ONDS works with the City of Yakima, City Legal Dept, in helping citizens collect legal
restitution from criminals caught vandalizing private property as well as public property.
Statistics compiled by Archie M. Matthews,
Acting Manager for City of Yakima, Neighborhood Development Services. (7/09/2008)
•