07/06/2021 ITEM NO. 10 - CONSIDERATION OF GRAFFITI REWARDS PROGRAMAGENDA ITEM NO. 10
WEST" ON
DATE: July 6, 2021
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: David Carmany
City Manager
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
City of West Covina I Office of the City Manager
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF GRAFFITI REWARDS PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the City Council provide direction to staff.
DISCUSSION:
Over the past several years, the City of West Covina has seen an increase in graffiti/vandalism in the
community. The table below illustrates the increase in graffiti -related calls for service submitted to the City
since 2018. As some of those calls are for graffiti/vandalism on private property, Code Enforcement responds
to those cases. To date, Code Enforcement has responded to 168 cases as of May 2021.
Calendar
Graffiti Requests
Increase From prior
Year
Calendar Year
2018
988
-
2019
2,391
242%
2020
3,077
29%
2,204 (as of June 30, 2021) anticipated to
TBD
2021
be over 4,000 by end of year
(30% - 43%)
At the June 1, 2021 City Council meeting, the Council directed that the graffiti fines and reward amounts be
reviewed to discourage graffiti and encourage community aid in addressing the increasing graffiti/vandalism in
the community. The current fine for graffiti violations in West Covina is $1,000 per citation; violations include
causing or attempting to cause graffiti, selling or loaning implement used to cause graffiti, possession of
graffiti implement, removal of graffiti (private property owners that refuse to clean up graffiti on their property
after written notice) (Attachment No. 1).
In regard to the Graffiti Reward Program amount, the current reward amount is $100. The reward program was
established with the adoption of Resolution No. 2007-29 (Attachment No. 2). The program was established to
encourage community aid in addressing graffiti crime throughout the City. The program provides a $100
reward to community members that provide information on graffiti/vandalism that lead to the arrest of an
individual(s). The following are the guidelines for the reward program:
• Recipient does not need to be a West Covina resident
• City employees/volunteers in any capacity are not eligible
• The community member providing the information is not required to provide their name, and can remain
completely anonymous
• The arrest has to be for vandalism or possession of vandalism tools
• One award issued per incident
• In the event two people call on the same incident, the first caller will be eligible for the reward
• The vandalism or possession of vandalism tools must have occurred in the City of West Covina
• The victim does not need to be City of West Covina
• The information must be contemporaneous and involve in progress, just occurred, or about of occur
incidents.
Increasing community support in reporting offenders to the Police Department will help curtail the increasing
graffiti/vandalism crime throughout the City. To help incentivize community members to report offenders,
staff is recommending that the City increase the reward amount from $100 to $500.
OPTIONS:
City Council has the following options:
1. Increase the reward amount to $500
2. Provide alternative direction.
Prepared by: Ken Plunkett
Fiscal Impact
FISCAL IMPACT:
As City of West Covina currently has the graffiti reward program, the reward amount will continue to be
deducted from the administrative citation fees.
Attachments
Attachment No. 1 - West Covina Fee Schedule
Attachment no. 2 - Resolution No. 2007-29
CITY Maintain and Enhance City Facilities and Infrastructure
COUNCIL Protect Public Safety
GOALS &
OBJECTIVES:
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
City of West Covina
Adopted Fee and Fine Schedule
December 17, 2019
City Council Resolution No. 2019-92
City West Covina
POLICE -Fee Schedule
FEE DESCRIPTION FINE UNIT NOTE
B) PARKING CITATION PENALTY Cont'd
61 VC22507.8: No pkg stall/space disabled person "'
$
400.00
per citation
62 VC 22507.8C: Obstructing handicapped access "'
$
195.00
per citation
63 VC 22514: No park/stand/stop 15 ft fire hydrant °1
$
60.00
per citation
64 VC 22522: No park within 3 ft sidewalk acc ramp"'
$
75.00
per citation
65 Late payment penalty "'
$
40.00
per citation
After 21 days from issuance
date
66 Late payment penalty --parking citation
Additional 30%
3rd Parry Pass-thru from
Vendor
ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES
A) MC 1S-8S: LOUD AND UNCESSARY NOISES PROHIBITED GENERALLY
1 First Offense
$
100.00
per citation
2 Second Offense (within one year)
$
200.00
per citation
3 Subsequent Citations (within one year)
$
500.00
per citation
B) MC IS-94:RADIOS, TELEVISION SETS, AND SIMILAR DEVICES
1 First Offense
$
100.00
per citation
2 Second Offense (within one year)
$
200.00
per citation
3 Subsequent Citations (within one year)
$
500.00
per citation
C) GRAFFITI
1 MC15-100: Prohibition against causing or attempting to cause
$
1,000.00
per citation
graffiti ry
2 MC 15-101(a): Sellingor loaning implement used to cause
$
1,000.00
per citation
graffiti "
3 MC 15-102: Possession of graffiti implement "
$
1,000.00
per citation
4 MC 15-103: Remova l of graffiti v
$
1,000.00
per citation
POLICE
A) REGISTRATION AND RENEWAL
$
25.00
each
B) REGISTRATION AND RENEWAL -SENIOR RESIDENTIAL 65.
$
12.00
each
C) APPEALFEE
$
25.00
per request
D) REINSTATEMENT FEE
$
100.00
each
Footnotes:
"'Fines maybe subject to change in conformance with Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules that maybe adopted by the Judicial Council of
California.
" Parents or legal guardians are liable for the fines incurred by juvenile offenders.
° Fine maybe assessed to private and commercial property owners who refuse to cleanup graffiti on their property after written notice.
POLICE
-
37
ATTACHMENT NO. 2
RESOLUTION NO.2007-29
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST
COVINA AUTHORIZING A GRAFFITI REWARDS PROGRAM TO BE
ESTABLISHED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND AUTHORIZING
STAFF TO UNDERTAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS CONSISTENT
• THEREWITH
WHEREAS, acts of graffiti vandalism continue to be committed in public areas, on
private property, on public property, on streets, parks, commercial areas and shopping centers;
and
WHEREAS, acts of graffiti vandalism can promote among residents feelings of
decreased safety, social decay, and community decline —and those feelings should be mitigated;
and
WHEREAS, the Police Department has resolved to aggressively arrest and prosecute all
graffiti vandals regardless of the amount of damage done; and
WHEREAS, many graffiti incidents citizens see the act of vandalism being committed
yet do not call to report the crime; and
WHEREAS, the support of the community greatly aids the Police Department's efforts to
apprehend graffiti vandals; and
WHEREAS, the establishment of a program to provide a cash reward to those who call
the police to report such crimes will increase the opportunity for Police Officers to apprehend
graffiti vandals.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of West
Covina as follows:
SECTION 1. On behalf of the City of West Covina, the City Council hereby formally
endorses and establishes the West Covina Police Department graffiti rewards program.
SECTION 2. The City Council directs City officials and staff to take appropriate steps
in furtherance of the establishment of such a program to promote the arrest and prosecution of
graffiti vandals.
SECTION 3. The City Council hereby delegates to the Chief of Police the authority to
execute all documents on behalf of the City consistent with this Resolution.
SECTION 4. The City Clerk shall certify the passage and adoption of this Resolution
and it shall thereupon be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED on this Ise day of May, 2007.
40
Ma3br Michael Touhey
Resolution No. 2007-29
Page 2
1, LAURIE CARRICO, CITY CLERK of the City of West Covina, California, do hereby certify
that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of West Covina,
California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the I' day of May, 2007, by the following vote
of the City Council:
AYES: Herfert, Hernandez, Sanderson, Touhey
is
NOES: None a
ABSENT: Lane " -
ABSTAIN: None
City Clerk curie Carrico_ - —
APPROVED AS TO FORM: -
c /"
'Cify Attorney An old Alvarez-Glasman
0