Yakima revisits approach to 'rampant' graffiti problem
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Yakima’s new plan to fight the city’s rampant graffiti problem includes putting more resources into abatement, as well as legal changes to the way graffiti victims are treated.
Yakima leaders felt current laws ended up hurting those who got tagged with graffiti through no fault of their own.
As it stands now, you've got nearly two weeks to cover graffiti on your property or face a $400 fine and a lien. A new proposal would do away with those penalties.
KIMA spoke with the owners of a property near 16th and Tieton last year. They received that notice from the city: clean up or pay up.
We caught up with that same family more than a year later. They say the fence is still a target for taggers and that they've been slapped with more than one notice from the city since our story aired.
The news of a friendlier approach to homeowners was welcomed.
"I was scared because I've never had issues with the law; I've never been called to court,” said Karelys Davis. “No one came and talked to us...I was surprised."
Yakima now wants to give you five-days to remove the tagging. It's less time, but you can also get help from the city if you can't cover it yourself.
City leaders say the current code essentially punished property owners for being victims.
KIMA asked, "In hindsight, that $400 seemed a little heavy-handed?"
"Yeah, cities are like anyone else,” said Senior Assistant City Attorney Mark Kunkler. “We live and learn and often there's a better approach that's revealed."
Yakima also wants to spend hire a part-time coordinator to manage the city's volunteer graffiti crews.
A member of the Gang unit would also investigate graffiti crimes. That function was eliminated years ago as a money saver.
“There's probably no other way around it if the city wants the fences to be clean, but at least a different approach makes me feel a little better,” Davis said.
Still, the new code doesn't go without some power for the city. Yakima said it would be allowed to come on your property without warning, if you fail to act or ignore clean-up notices.
The city would take control of the painting themselves.
KIMA learned Yakima is also working on an electronic reporting system for code violations.
You'd be able to submit complaints online or with your phone.
It's another way for city leaders to get your concerns on everything from graffiti to overgrown yards.
Yakima City Manager Tony O'Rourke expects this to help address chronic problems and clean up the city.
"The public doesn't like it nor should we," said Yakima City Manager Tony O'Rourke. "We need to be more aggressive...clearly there's been efforts in the past, but clearly we need to ramp those up."
Work is still being done on the new reporting system. It's expected to be up and running this year.
The proposed graffiti changes will be presented to city council members on Tuesday.
Yakima City Manager Tony O'Rourke says they're on board with the proposal.
Yakima leaders felt current laws ended up hurting those who got tagged with graffiti through no fault of their own.
As it stands now, you've got nearly two weeks to cover graffiti on your property or face a $400 fine and a lien. A new proposal would do away with those penalties.
KIMA spoke with the owners of a property near 16th and Tieton last year. They received that notice from the city: clean up or pay up.
We caught up with that same family more than a year later. They say the fence is still a target for taggers and that they've been slapped with more than one notice from the city since our story aired.
The news of a friendlier approach to homeowners was welcomed.
"I was scared because I've never had issues with the law; I've never been called to court,” said Karelys Davis. “No one came and talked to us...I was surprised."
Yakima now wants to give you five-days to remove the tagging. It's less time, but you can also get help from the city if you can't cover it yourself.
City leaders say the current code essentially punished property owners for being victims.
KIMA asked, "In hindsight, that $400 seemed a little heavy-handed?"
"Yeah, cities are like anyone else,” said Senior Assistant City Attorney Mark Kunkler. “We live and learn and often there's a better approach that's revealed."
Yakima also wants to spend hire a part-time coordinator to manage the city's volunteer graffiti crews.
A member of the Gang unit would also investigate graffiti crimes. That function was eliminated years ago as a money saver.
“There's probably no other way around it if the city wants the fences to be clean, but at least a different approach makes me feel a little better,” Davis said.
Still, the new code doesn't go without some power for the city. Yakima said it would be allowed to come on your property without warning, if you fail to act or ignore clean-up notices.
The city would take control of the painting themselves.
KIMA learned Yakima is also working on an electronic reporting system for code violations.
You'd be able to submit complaints online or with your phone.
It's another way for city leaders to get your concerns on everything from graffiti to overgrown yards.
Yakima City Manager Tony O'Rourke expects this to help address chronic problems and clean up the city.
"The public doesn't like it nor should we," said Yakima City Manager Tony O'Rourke. "We need to be more aggressive...clearly there's been efforts in the past, but clearly we need to ramp those up."
Work is still being done on the new reporting system. It's expected to be up and running this year.
The proposed graffiti changes will be presented to city council members on Tuesday.
Yakima City Manager Tony O'Rourke says they're on board with the proposal.
First, let's get the story straight. The homeowner mentioned at 16th & Tieton either painted the grafitti himself or encouraged others to do so , so the entire fence was covered mostly during broad daylight in full view of passing motorists. At the complaint of numerous citizens, he was given the notice to clean it up or be fined. Since then, his fence has been tagged and he has failed to clean it off, so additional notices were sent. And this is the problem -- some owners of tagged properties will not clean up the grafitti unless there is a pressure on them.Â
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 Owners of property need to take the responsibility for their property and keep it clean -- it's not the taxpayer's responsibiity -- no more than if someone had a car accident hit and run, damaging property, and were never located, they shouldn't expect taxpayers to repair their damages. Even though it's not the property owner's fault and they're a victim, they still need to make their repairs.
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The laws are on the books, we just need the police to enforce them and actively go after these vandals rather than doing what's being done now -- which is nothing. The police take the reports, shrug their shoulders and say they can't do anything unless the officer actually sees it. So the report is filed away and the damage just continues.
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Incidentally, regarding the fence at 16th & Tieton, a little detective work would show some of the "Signatures" on several of the grafitti items can be found routinely up and down Tieton Drive. Since the homeowner allowed the grafitti to be painted (done in broad daylight, like a party and probably knows the person doing the painting) a little pressure from the police might have matched up who was painting on the fence to the vandalism up and down the street!