By Katie McDevitt
The East Valley Tribune
MESA, Ariz. — Gang graffiti is tarnishing certain west Mesa neighborhoods and a group of residents is working with police to get rid of it.
Complaints from a group of people at a police community meeting last week have prompted Mesa employees to paint over several graffiti markings today in the communities around Eighth Avenue and Alma School Road.
“Who’s going to know more about blight issues than the citizens?” said Mesa police officer JD Schmidt, a member of the Dobson Police Advisory Board.
The board is made up of Schmidt, crime prevention officer Jerry Quarles, Cmdr. Joe Shelley and about 20 residents, who helped police identify locations they want painted. The Tribune couldn’t reach residents who are members of the board Monday.
“We’ve always had the graffiti hotlines and we’ve always done the paintouts, but we’ve never had it organized like this to where we said ‘You know what, we’re going to get the citizens involved.’” said Mesa police spokesman Detective Chris Arvayo.
The city crew will begin spraying a neutral paint color over graffiti in the area at 8 a.m. and plans to finish about noon. While much of west Mesa’s graffiti is already covered by splotches of paint on brick walls, fences and the stucco-covered sides of businesses, some of the writing remains: a brick wall with bright green letters, a large painted profanity and other small markings.
“Gang graffiti is a written claim to a gang area or territory that has the potential of intimidating citizens who may live in the affected area,” Arvayo said.
“It makes those who may have lived in a neighborhood for many years feel as if they are outsiders in a place they call home.”
To make a report to police, call the graffiti hotline at (480) 644-3083. Also, to report gang activity, call the gang hotline at (480) 644-4264.
Copyright 2008 East Valley Tribune