GRAFFITI CASES LEVELING OUT ACTIVITY DEFIES PREDICTION.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer PALMDALE - Every year, Palmdale sheriff's investigators have been able to predict lulls or spikes in graffiti graffiti Form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or group. Technically the term applies to designs scratched through a layer of paint or plaster, but its meaning has been extended to other markings. vandalism The intentional and malicious destruction of or damage to the property of another. The intentional destruction of property is popularly referred to as vandalism. It includes behavior such as breaking windows, slashing tires, spray painting a wall with graffiti, and by the season, but this year has been different. Instead of the sharp increase usually seen in the summer months and drop- off in winter, 2002 has seen a continuous stream of taggers and gangsters scrawling their monikers on any open surface. ``It's been pretty consistent,'' said Detective Bob Farkas, Palmdale sheriff's station's graffiti investigator. ``It's been kind of weird this year. There hasn't been an increase; it's just stayed consistent.'' Farkas said he has investigated an average of about five new graffiti cases a month since taking the position in February. As Farkas investigates graffiti vandalism, much of the information in his files comes from deputies who patrol local schools. When they spot writing on students' notebooks in the style of a tagger tag·ger n. 1. One that tags, especially the pursuer in the game of tag. 2. taggers Very thin sheet iron, usually plated with tin. Noun 1. or gangster, it is photographed or copied. Whenever graffiti appears on block walls, signs or buildings around Palmdale, it is photographed before it is eliminated. The photo is then compared with hundreds of others in Farkas' files to try to find a match. If he has a suspect in mind or a group of suspects, he begins interviews, trying to gather information and evidence to link them to the crime. Much of the graffiti Farkas sees in a typical month reveals the culprit's nickname (1) An alternate name used to identify yourself in a chat room. (2) A shortcut for identifying a recipient in an e-mail address book. , or moniker (1) A name, title or alias. See alias. (2) A COM object that is used to create instances of other objects. Monikers save programmers time when coding various types of COM-based functions such as linking one document to another (OLE). See COM and OLE. , or that of his ``crew.'' Farkas said that although Palmdale appears to have had a decrease in graffiti over the past decade, the city's graffiti abatement A reduction, a decrease, or a diminution. The suspension or cessation, in whole or in part, of a continuing charge, such as rent. With respect to estates, an abatement is a proportional diminution or reduction of the monetary legacies, a disposition of property by will, when program is actually to credit for that. ``The city has done an incredible job cleaning up the graffiti and going after the taggers or their parents civilly,'' Farkas said. The city has a hotline - (661) 94-PRIDE - for residents to report graffiti. Most is cleaned up or painted over within 48 hours. ``All we have to do is pick up the phone, and they're over there cleaning it up,'' said Sgt. Ron Maples Maples is a surname, and may refer to:
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