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Berkeley,
California (Wednesday, September 26, 2007)--
Berkeley property owners who are victims of graffiti
vandalism will now get a courtesy notice before the official Notice
of Violation and $250 fine, but are still ultimately responsible for
keeping their property clean.
“The prompt removal of
graffiti, especially in light of the connection to gang activity, is
an important part of making Berkeley a clean and safe community,”
said City Manager Phil Kamlarz. “All the research shows that
getting rid of graffiti quickly is the best way to keep it from
coming back. As a community, we need to prevent graffiti, report
graffiti, and clean up graffiti.”
The Code Enforcement
Division of the City Manager’s Office is responsible for ensuring
that private property owners clean graffiti when it appears. Those
notices will be sent to property owners beginning the week of
October 8, 2007. Property owners who disregard the Courtesy Notice
will receive the Notice of Violation. If there is no response to the
Notice of Violation, a $250 fine will be levied against the property
owner.
Cleaning up graffiti has
been a priority for the City for more than a dozen years. Between
1995 and 2002, the City cleaned or covered all graffiti free of
charge, whether it was on public or private property. This program
eventually became too expensive and a new ordinance was written that
aligned Berkeley with other Bay Area cities, making graffiti the
responsibility of the property owner. The City is still responsible
for cleaning graffiti on public property, including parks and City
buildings.
In order to support
property owners, City staff members from various departments are
working to develop a comprehensive anti-graffiti campaign. This
campaign will include community outreach, tips for reducing graffiti
vandalism, neighborhood cleanups, and police surveillance programs.
Graffiti removal techniques
vary depending on the medium used (paint, markers, crayon) and the
type of surface that has been tagged (wood, stucco, glass, metal),
so property owners are advised to contact a hardware store, home
improvement center or the Internet.
Residents can report the presence of graffiti by
calling 510-981-CITY. Graffiti vandalism is a crime, and anyone can
report vandalism in progress by calling 510-981-5900.
Download
the Courtesy Notice here.
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