The Tucson Police Department is joining with the Pima County Attorney's Office and private businesses to rid the walls throughout Tucson of graffiti.
Tucson police Chief Roberto Villaseñor announced Thursday the department has taken over the city's Graffiti Abatement Program and will use officers to help fight graffiti and catch taggers.
The initiative will include a new graffiti hotline available through 88-CRIME to report suspect information.
The department also will partner with other businesses to clean graffiti and raise money for resources to fight the vandalism.
Here are some specifics of the program:
What is it?
The Tucson Police Department has formed the Targeting All Graffiti — TAG — unit, which will work with a graffiti removal company to identify suspected taggers and investigate graffiti vandalism.
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The unit and the company, Graffiti Protective Coatings, will share a database that will include photographs and other information about graffiti incidents.
The removal company will take photos of graffiti while cleaning the vandalism.
People can now call 88-CRIME to give information on suspected taggers. Residents can still call 792-CITY to report graffiti in their neighborhoods.
Who's involved?
In addition to TAG-unit officers, Graffiti Protective Coatings and the County Attorney's Office, Target Corp. will work with local businesses to raise money and volunteer to clean up graffiti.
Clear Channel Radio is airing public-service announcements that warn graffiti artists about the consequences of vandalism.
Who will the program target?
The program will target graffiti artists and taggers who vandalize property.
TAG officers will use tips, the database and other information to identify names and monikers of graffiti artists.
Anyone arrested for tagging or using graffiti can face criminal- damage and vandalism charges.
Why are authorities targeting graffiti?
Villaseñor referred to the graffiti problem in Tucson as an "epidemic" and "quality of life" issue.
City officials cited the difficulty of cleaning up graffiti, only to have it reappear as soon as the next day.
"This is a crime committed frequently in the dark of the night," said Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall.
Problem areas
The areas with the worst graffiti problems include neighborhoods near East Broadway and North Camino Seco, downtown near Stone Avenue and Broadway and the area near South 12th Avenue and West Irvington Road, according to Graffiti Protective Coatings.
How much will it cost?
The program has a budget of $720,000 a year, which had already been allotted for the effort, Villaseñor said.
The TAG-unit police officers were reassigned from the Violent Crimes Task Force, which has been disbanded.
The task force was charged with breaking up loud parties and other incidents that lead to violent crimes. Two other squads will still perform those duties, police said.
