Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe in partnership with Helpline Youth Counseling, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Cities of Downey, La Mirada, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, and Unincorporated Whittier will launch the Aware Teens Against Graffiti or A.T.A.G. Program this Saturday, February 23 at 8:00 a.m. at the STAR Center, located at 11515 South Colima Road in Whittier.
A.T.A.G. is an innovative delinquency prevention program that targets first time tagging and vandalism offenders between the ages of 9 to 15 and their parents. The weekend-long program focuses on the parents receiving an intensive two-day skill-building training, and the youth offenders participating in community service projects and group discussions while being supervised by law enforcement. The program is a unique and proactive effort in Los Angeles County as it brings elected officials, law enforcement, the court system, community-based organizations and families together in a collaborative effort to combat tagging and vandalism in the community.
Graffiti is a huge problem in many of our neighborhoods and communities, and it is reducing the quality of life, property values, business growth and development in these areas, said Supervisor Knabe. A.T.A.G. works to prevent and eliminate this growing problem by providing parents with necessary skills, support and resources to help their kids and it teaches young offenders about accountability, responsibility, respect, values and future consequences.