Graffiti's impact

Dear Editor:We see less graffiti in Downey since our removal system is fast and effective. Crews, using two trucks, work seven days a week. Recently a new state-of-the-art truck was added to further enable crews to work faster. This truck has a large, highly-visible sign that can be raised or lowered to direct traffic right or left while crews work to remove illegal markings. It is interesting to watch our workers keep Downey clean. Recently, Lisa Fox was seen in a work truck driving around looking for markings. She stopped immediately and removed the illegal markings. We often see her driving along looking for graffiti. Quickly call the Graffiti Hotline at (562) 923-4484 since fast removal is essential. Add this hotline number to your cell phone. Graffiti left for long periods encourages more of this illegal activity. It is important to report the exact location when reporting graffiti so crews can go directly to the location and not spend valuable time searching. Fortunately, we see less illegally-posted signs in Downey. Like graffiti, these signs degrade our city. Most are easy to remove so we can then place them in trash cans. Why be concerned about graffiti and illegally-posted signs? All members of our community are impacted by these illegal activities. Removing graffiti and repairing the damage costs our community valuable tax dollars. Property can be devalued and business owners can lose customers from the negative image generated by these activities, which send the message that our community may be in decline or impacted with crime. Our Keep Downey Beautiful coordinator, Carol Rowland, organizes groups to meet on a Saturday and go to locations in town that need sprucing up. She organizes church groups, scouts, civic and social groups, and service clubs to clean these areas. These groups meet for one hour on a Saturday. If you want to have fun, meet interesting people, and do something for your city, contact Carol at (562) 904-7159. - Byron Dillon, Downey

********** Published: July 24, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 14