Belgatos resident Mary Pope-Handy responded quickly to a spray-painted XIV on a nursery school sign and a no parking sign in her neighborhood. She snapped these digital photographs and e-mailed them to the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Dept.
"Our best defense against graffiti is immediate removal," said Captain David Gravel. The police maintain an aggressive anti-tagging policy, and the department's Volunteers in Policing (VIPs) keep graffiti-removal supplies--chemicals and rags--in their vehicles.
In this case, the graffiti was removed from the preschool sign within hours. The No Parking sign was looking a little faded, so the town's Public Works Dept. simply replaced the sign.
Capt. Gravel says that the police appreciate the public's help keeping Los Gatos graffiti-free. Anyone who sees this kind of vandalism is encouraged to call the police department's Graffiti Hotline at 354-6863, to file an online report at www.lgmspd.org, or to call the main number at 354-8600.
"Ideally, of course," Capt. Gravel says, "people will call us in time to catch the individuals" who are doing the tagging. Arresting people with spray paint cans in hand is an even better defense than rapid removal.
Photographs by Mary Pope-Handy.
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