Foothills sees increase in graffiti, while activity decreases in Somerton

"I mean, it's just a bunch of young kids trying to make a name for themselves," says Guy Kemp, manager of Moore's Martial Arts.

He speaks casually about the graffiti that was painted on his business' property Thursday night, but other comments belie a deeper concern.

"No one's going to want to take their kids here. They see the graffiti out here and they think there's gang activity. We're a family martial arts school."

The martial arts school, located south of Arizona Avenue and 24th Street, has a few red and black tags along a brick wall lining its parking lot. At least one of the marks appears as though it might be a combination of block-type letters.

Capt. Eben Bratcher of the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said that graffiti crime tends to be fairly consistent across seasons and areas, with a typical month witnessing 20-25 new incidents on average.

He said, however, that there has been an increase in the Foothills in particular, possibly as a result of the relocation and dispersal of some gangs.

Clint Norred, Yuma Police Department's public information officer, said "it's a fluid thing" that can shift with the dynamics of the groups that support the activity.

Despite the relative unpredictability of the crime, Norred said, a few high-profile arrests this year have demonstrated progress in combating its occurrence within the community.

He also said that educating youths and their parents about graffiti and discouraging deviant behavior is important.

Terry Hollis, on the other hand, said that the occurrence of graffiti in Somerton has decreased.

Hollis, Somerton's police chief, attributes this to the existence of a full-time public works employee who goes around town before sunrise to cover up any graffiti that was put up there during the night.

"The quicker we can take it off a wall or building the better," Hollis said.

Bratcher agreed and said, "One piece of graffiti invites another piece of graffiti."

Hollis said this is because graffiti is often used to mark a gang's territory.

While not all taggers are gang members, Bratcher said, a large cross section of perpetrators are gang-affiliated.

He said recognizing gang symbols and being able to read the messages encapsulated in tags requires a lot of training and even an understanding of the gangs themselves.

The greatest challenge, though, according to Bratcher, is keeping up with what can often be a completely random act. "We can't be everywhere all the time."

For this reason, he said, the sheriff's office relies on the public to help eradicate graffiti from communities. He said if people "report it when it occurs," there is a greater chance of his office completing a full investigation.

Bratcher said the best way to do this is to call the graffiti hot line at 329-2828.

Kemp said he witnessed a different attitude toward the graffiti in front of his business.

The community service officer who responded to reports that morning said, "It'll take about at least a week" to cover up the graffiti, according to Kemp.

"They say it could happen tomorrow or it could take a week. And if it doesn't happen within a week that I should call them back. It's not like we're living in a big city here."

When it comes to covering up graffiti, Hollis said the biggest challenge for SPD is matching paints.

He said if the property owner buys the paint that they want used on the surface, the city will use that paint on their property instead of the recycled, gray-colored paint they usually use in graffiti coverups.

Hollis even said the city will keep the preferred color for that property on file should another tag be placed in that spot.

In a similar situation earlier last week, a six-seat chapel on County 17th Street was tagged. AB Builders volunteered to paint over that graffiti in the original color of the church.

This was a notable case of graffiti tagging because, according to Hollis, perpetrators generally tag apartment complexes or operate on the outskirts of town.

Moore's Martial Arts has been open since March, and Kemp said this is the first instance in which graffiti has been painted on their property.

Before the owners bought the building in January, Kemp said it "used to get tagged all the time." He said that's because after its previous owners vacated the premises, it remained empty for a substantial period of time.

As for why the taggers would choose to target their business now, he said, "You can't predict when they're going to attack. I guess they felt that they got comfortable with us that they could do it."

But that doesn't faze Kemp. He said he'll "sit outside and wait for them" if he has to.


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Erin Orozco can be reached at eorozco@yumasun.com or 539-6849.