County of Los Angeles T.A.G. Program -- Totally Against Graffiti -- Helps Kids Learn to Keep Neighborhoods Clean.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2002

The T.A.G. -- Totally Against Graffiti -- initiative of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Graffiti Abatement Program goes to the root of the graffiti problem in Los Angeles County -- education.

"Graffiti is not a simple problem and there is no simple solution. It is not just writing on the wall. It is, in fact, an indicator of urban decay and crime," said Valerie Hill, Graffiti Abatement Program Manager for Los Angeles County. "The costs for graffiti removal are enormous, and it is not something that should be minimized."

According to Valerie Hill, of the Graffiti Abatement program, the greatest volume of graffiti vandalism has little to do with art and stems from larger and more complex problems in society. Among these are the breakdown or absence of family structure, the lack of value placed upon education, and the inability of the system to convey, promote, and enforce such fundamentals as parental responsibility. It also affects the respect for authority, respect for property, and pride in the community. "Educating elementary school children and youth is a proactive and preventative method of eradicating graffiti," says Hill.

Since 1993, under the leadership and direction of the County Board of Supervisors, The County Department of Public Works implemented a Countywide zero tolerance anti-graffiti effort. The plan is a broad-based, inter-jurisdictional effort to combat serious blight on urban landscape. It includes physical clean up efforts, legislative strategies, law enforcement and judicial intervention, a proactive public information campaign, as well as focused diversion and prevention efforts.

That's why a program like T.A.G. is so very important.

T.A.G. is a powerful program that empowers kids and the community to work together to fight graffiti. Posters and fliers are distributed to over 150 elementary schools to make students aware of awards they can win by NOT participating in graffiti. They are also encouraged to tell their friends to not participate and by reporting graffiti if they see it.

"Stop Graffiti and We All Win" is the most important message of the T.A.G. program. Kids are encouraged to call a 1-800 number to report graffiti. The calls are received by The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works where experienced teams clean up the reported graffiti, in most cases, within 48 hours of notification. The Public Works Graffiti Abatement Program has been extremely successful in rapidly removing graffiti, which slows the rate of increase and aggressively reduces the visibility of graffiti. T.A.G. emphasizes reporting as the most important contribution kids can make to help improve the areas where they live.

T.A.G. is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in association with The Department of Public Works Graffiti Abatement Program. Working together with the Los Angeles County Office of Education -- Safe Schools Center, T.A.G. educates students and the community about the costs and consequences of graffiti.

T.A.G. hopes to develop students into active community members and encourage them to take pride in their neighborhoods. Local schools are using the T.A.G. program to launch their own individual clean up days with parents.

The successful pilot program of T.A.G. was launched in January of this year with over 80 elementary schools in areas targeted for graffiti relief and abatement. In order to build upon this success, over 150 schools are being targeted to participate in the 2002-2003 school year. T.A.G. engages students in discussions about the expense and repercussions of graffiti to empower them to improve their surroundings. Students are also rewarded for helping their schools reach the best record of reporting graffiti. T.A.G. sponsors provide participating schools with free pizza, cookies, fun park tickets and other powerful rewards for helping the fight against graffiti.

A special phone number for reporting graffiti, 1-800-675-4357, has been operating for several years. Depending on the area or structure affected, the hotline can notify other agencies, such as CalTrans, the MTA, and 88 local city agencies.

The T.A.G. program partners with local businesses and corporate sponsors to spread the word about graffiti abatement. During the pilot program Little Caesar's put the T.A.G. logo and the 1-800 number on over 420,000 pizza box covers that went into homes throughout Los Angeles. Little Caesar's provided free pizza for one of the winning schools. Keebler donated over 80,000 cookies that were distributed to each student who completed their graffiti homework books. The homework books require involvement from parents for the completion and ultimately open the conversation with their kids regarding whether or not they are involved with graffiti. This tactic also increases the parents' awareness of their neighborhoods.

T.A.G. reaches out to impressionable elementary school students, to create the right perception of graffiti abatement and community awareness before they reach the difficult middle and high school years. Most importantly, T.A.G. makes a difference by creating a program that everyone can learn from while having fun.

T.A.G. -- Totally Against Graffiti -- puts the kids on our team. "Stop Graffiti and We All Win."