Graffiti Watch

By Ana Canillas

While HVNA members are working hard to bring more public art installations to the neighborhood, there is already more interactive art than we expected in Hayes Valley - tagging is now almost everywhere. Let’s put a stop to this as quickly as possible. Here’s a blurb from “Recycle Today,” the newsletter insert from Sunset Scavenger has a solution. In order to help DPW address their over 1000 complaints a month, DPW is seeking volunteers to join GRAFFITI WATCH, a citywide effort to prevent and remove graffiti from public property. DPW supplies the training and the tools and the community takes charge from there.

Graffiti Watch members commit to helping keep heavily “tagged” areas graffiti free for two years.

Removing graffiti quickly - ideally within 24 hours - is key to Graffiti Watch’s long-term success. It is well documented that the faster graffiti is painted over, the less likely it is that the vandals will return.

Call 28-CLEAN (282-5326) or e-mail 28clean@sfdpw.org to obtain an application for membership in Graffiti Watch or to report graffiti whenever you see it.