A high-tech system designed to curb graffiti is credited for an arrest of a local man accused of several incidents of graffiti vandalism in the Rowland Heights area, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies, using documentation obtained from the Graffiti Tracker program, recently arrested one of the most active graffiti vandals in Rowland Heights. The suspect was arrested and charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of vandalism, and he is currently awaiting trial. Additional suspects could be arrested as the investigation continues.
Before the ‘Graffiti Tracker’ came along, a bust like this wouldn’t have been possible because there was no way of determining which vandals were doing the most damage or how much damage they were actually responsible for, said Supervisor Knabe.
This system was originally put to use in the City of Carson several years ago and in 2006 Supervisor Knabe funded the project in South Whittier. Since then, Sheriff’s Deputies have made over 20 arrests and seen a 24% decrease in vandalism in 2007.
The Graffiti Tracker system was created to capture and store graffiti data. The system gives law enforcement personnel real-time, street-level intelligence that allows them to not only focus on the worst graffiti offenders and their damage, but also to monitor potential gang violence that is associated with the graffiti.