Terry Carter says she likes her neighborhood. Shes lived in her home on Lindell for ten years. Its just a couple of blocks from Alta Loma Elementary School. She admits she already was concerned about abandoned buildings covered with graffiti just a few blocks away. But she when she came out of her house one morning three weeks ago to discover this -- graffiti on a fence just a block away -- she decided something had to be don.
Terry Carter/Concerned Resident -- I dont like to see it anywhere in town, but seeing it this close to home puts the fire under you.
She addressed city council members as they considered a new ordinance to confront the graffiti problem.
Terry Carter -- And little kids get to come by when they walk to school on Monday and see this garbage. I want it out of my neighborhood. I would like gangs out of my town.
The ordinance was a joint effort of police Chief Tim Vasquez and officials with the municipal court. The goal is to remove graffiti as quickly as possible, not only from public buildings, but also from private homes and businesses. The ordinance gives home and business owners ten days to remove graffiti, or face a possible penalty.
Police Chief Tim Vasquez -- The owner is going to receive indemnification paperwork that says, basically, you have ten days to remove the graffiti. If you cannot, for some reason, remove the graffiti the city will remove it for you. If you do not remove your graffiti, then under the nuisance abatement law you can be held responsible for that and be cited for not removing your graffiti.
Joel -- The new rules also cover the purchase and possession of spray paint. Under the new ordinance, anyone age of 16 or younger will be banned from purchasing or possessing spray paint of any kind.
Council members unanimously approved the new ordinance on its first reading. Chief Vasquez says hes pleased. But Terry Carter says it should have been more strict. She believes graffiti thats allowed to remain for any length of time sends a dangerous message.
Terry -- That youre inviting criminal activity into your neighborhood.
And she says shell continue her fight to protect her neighborhood from the blight of graffiti.
