Graffiti Reward May Be Raised

Fed up with a growing graffiti problem, the Gardena City Council asked staff members Tuesday night to consider raising the reward for residents who report violators to police.

Although the current maximum reward for tips that lead to convictions is $1,000, Councilman Paul Tsukuhara said raising it still higher would encourage more young people to call authorities when they see vandals with spray paint in hand.

“I think the motivating factor is the dollar sign,” he said. Tsukuhara’s proposal was made in a response to a still-at-large tagger who in recent weeks has scrawled the letters “ECM” throughout the city. The letters, authorities say, stand for “evil children mobbing.”

As part of its anti-graffiti program, the council in recent months has banned the sale of spray paint at swap meets and has begun holding parents financially responsible for the city’s cleanup of their children’s graffiti. The city estimates that it spends $150,000 a year on graffiti removal.