Anti-graffiti coalition stands ready to clean up
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers READY TO WORK- The new anti-graffiti coalition, which includes local community leaders, prepares for action. The group was created as a movement that everyone could rally around, said Ron LaGuardia, president of the Moorpark Unified School District Board.

A group of community leaders met for the first time last week to discuss how the growing graffiti problem that plagues Moorpark can be resolved.

About 10 people representing diverse interests in the community came to share their ideas.

The coalition is not meant to terminate all individual efforts. It could sponsor programs and initiate a movement that everyone could rally around, said Ron LaGuardia, Moorpark Unified School District Board president.

In addition to supporting grassroots cleanup efforts, the coalition seeks to create opportunities to redirect youth away from negative influences and into more productive activities.

This is a multilayered effort that must involve the city, schools, authorities, and organizations. Every organization in town that touches the lives of youth needs to be involved because these groups are the ones on the front line, LaGuardia said.

Curbing vandalism is going to require much effort but "the last thing I want to see is a bunch of good intentions without actions," he said.

Graffiti is a problem that takes away from the beauty of the community and it affects all residents and businesses in Moorpark, said Lisa Masotti, president of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce. She joined the group because the Chamber's new offices on High Street have been targeted by vandals several times since June.

The graffiti is covered up as soon as it occurs but it would be best if the problem could be stopped at the source, said Masotti, suggesting outreach programs should be aimed at very young children to help them make sound choices early on.

Graffiti is not a unilateral problem. There are different types of groups involved, including those who commit gang-related graffiti to mark territory, and crew tagging, which is more artistic, said Al Gomez, a corporal with the Ventura County Police Department responsible for graffiti related crimes.

The tagging in Moorpark is generally gang related. It is part of the vandals' lifestyle and it's a countywide trend. "If it's not stopped it will get worse," said Gomez, who lives in Moorpark.

Scott Mosher, executive director for the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark, also got involved with the coalition because he noticed that graffiti is a growing problem in Moorpark. "I want to see what I can do to reach out and intervene," he said.

The culprits are not always the stereotypical young males- even girls as young as 10 or 12 get involved in these activities, said Moy Serrano, a local insurance agent who's involved with several organizations that work with youth.

Intervention must begin from "the ground up," teaching these kids to make sound choices, said Diane Parcher, outreach director for Fountain Foursquare Church in Moorpark.

The church already formed a "Blight Lifters" group, which is made up of volunteers who go out to clean graffiti for residents.

Many people need help to remove tagging because they can't afford to repeatedly purchase supplies to clean up after the vandals.

Due to liability concerns, volunteers cannot work on city or school-owned properties, said Parcher.

The coalition means well and it has much potential, as it can raise awareness and educate the public on graffiti and graffiti removal "but we can't tackle the whole problem at once," said David Moe, Redevelopment Agency Manager and property manager for the city of Moorpark.

The coalition must take baby steps first, and then it can branch out and venture off to organize larger events like a Saturday morning clean up.

As the graffiti incidents have increased, the city also hired a subcontractor to clean up vandalism on public property as soon as possible, Moe said.

The inaugural coalition meeting also included Larry Brown, assistant superintendent for the school district; Jonas Casas, who coaches the Moorpark Packers, and Brian Mootz, a Carpintaria resident who delivers packages for UPS in Moorpark. Mootz won't be a regular member of the committee but he offered to share what he's learned as a member of the Carpinteria Beautiful Committee which cleans up litter and graffiti in the small coastal town south of Santa Barbara.

The coalition plans to involve more people, including city and police representatives in future meetings, which are scheduled to take place every other week for the next few months.

Who to call

As of now, the city has several numbers that people can call to report graffiti. The numerous options are confusing to residents, said antigraffiti coalition members, who suggested the city should have a dedicated graffiti hotline that is easy to memorize.

But for now, please report graffiti to the following:

•On city property during the day call (805) 517-6256.

•On private property call the city's code enforcement officer at (805) 517-6232.

•For all other cases, except those at parks and community centers, (805) call 517-6256.