FOR TAGGERS, HE'S IT DEPUTY USES SKILLS VS. GRAFFITI.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Since taking over as the Palmdale sheriff's station's new graffiti investigator just over two weeks ago, Deputy Bob Farkas has already arrested five people believed to be responsible for more than $50,000 in damage.

Farkas, however, says his aggressive approach to identifying and arresting gang members and taggers responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in vandalism each year goes beyond just doing his job.

``I have a vested interest in seeing the city succeed and grow,'' Farkas said. ``The city is trying to bring up the community's image and bring in businesses and as a resident it's in my best interest to support that.''

Farkas has been with the Sheriff's Department for more than 13 years and at the Palmdale station for six years.

He was previously assigned to the Career Criminal Apprehension Program, where he worked to identify and file cases against repeat criminals.

Farkas works closely with the city of Palmdale's Graffiti Abatement Program to spot and remove graffiti eyesores.

In a typical day, Farkas will go to a spot where graffiti has been noticed, photograph and log it. He then compares the writing, names or monikers with hundreds of others in his files to try to identify the person responsible.

If there is a match, he contacts the person he thinks is responsible and questions him or her while searching for evidence of the crime.

Commonly, the graffiti is done by a member of an out-of-town gang or tagging crew that may have members living in the Antelope Valley. He then questions anyone involved with that group and tries to find evidence linking them to the crime.

Oftentimes, his information comes from concerned residents, school security officers or deputies who notice tattoos or artwork on binders, backpacks or clothing. The work is often photographed and then compared with graffiti found around the valley.

``The big part of this is getting the people identified,'' Farkas said. ``The taggers are harder but gang members our patrol units catch in the act all the time.''

Farkas has spent a good deal of his time learning how to read the scrawling that many people can't make heads or tails of. He has knowledge of the monikers and style of tagging for nearly every gang and tagging crew in the valley and many from Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Farkas can look at a wall full of graffiti and usually identify the person responsible in seconds, or at least the gang or tagging crew.

His only formal training in graffiti investigation was a class in gang subcultures. The majority of his experience comes from working in the field, asking questions and listening to the people who do the graffiti.

A recent rash of graffiti is just an example of how tagging occurs in cycles. It usually runs its course and then dies down for a while, he said, but it always comes back.

Farkas says his biggest concern is the cost of cleanup to the residents of Palmdale. Officials with the Graffiti Abatement Program have given him an estimate of $2.91 per square foot as the cost of cleaning up or painting over graffiti in Palmdale. He uses this number to calculate damages but says it could be worse.

``Even if you paint over the graffiti on these walls, it's still there,'' Farkas said, pointing to a graffiti-covering a block wall behind an east-side apartment building.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Deputy Bob Farkas, graffiti investigator for the Palmdale sheriff's station, looks at vandalism along Avenue R-2.

(2) Graffiti investigator Deputy Bob Farkas photographs some scrawl for his files, which he uses to identify offenders.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer