Officials discuss graffiti crackdown

EPHRATA - A Moses Lake man is growing tired of the graffiti problem.

County commissioners Richard Stevens, Cindy Carter and Carolann Swartz, along with Grant County Prosecutor Angus Lee, recently discussed a resident's proposal allowing those in the court system eligible for community service to clean up graffiti.

Ed Stubbington, of Moses Lake, came up with the proposal and believes that having those who celebrate the gang lifestyle remove graffiti may help deter future vandalism.

Stubbington hopes that having those familiar with the gang lifestyle out in the community would embarrass them and not allow them to gain "street cred."

Currently, the graffiti and nuisance ordinance requires property owners to clean up graffiti tags within 15 days.

The commissioners and Lee agreed that covering up the graffiti in a timely matter is the best way to prevent further gang activity.

Lee explained that the tags may look like scribbles, but the gangs are really communicating with each other and tagging can eventually lead to gang battles.

It is difficult to catch and prosecute a graffiti artist because paint cans are easily hidden and the tag itself only takes a matter of moments to create.

Also, the majority of graffiti tags are believed to be done by juveniles.

County commissioners and the prosecutor's office do not have the authority to order those eligible for community service to clean up graffiti. That decision is made by the court under the state legislature.

The state legislature and governor would have to change the juvenile criminal laws and related sentencing laws before anything could be done.

Stubbington sent a proposal to Sen. Janéa Holmquist Newbry, R-Moses Lake, in 2012, but he didn't get the changes he wanted.

Holmquist Newbry explained she wanted to see Stubbington's proposal adopted by a willing county as a pilot project before going forward with statewide legislation.

Holmquist Newbry co-sponsored Senate Bill 5799 that dealt with gang-related issues, but the bill didn't address Stubbington's issue of not leaving property owners responsible for removing graffiti.

There is also the matter of supervising those let out to clean up graffiti. The sheriff's office is in charge of who is eligible for community service and work release.

Those affiliated with gang activity may not be low-risk enough to be released for community service and may pose a hazard since rival gangs could use their exposure as an opportunity to attack.

Stevens said that code enforcement is complaint driven, so if someone sees any graffiti it should be reported to law enforcement.

Carter suggested that the commissioner's office talk to the sheriff's office before making a decision on the proposal.

Moses Lake Mayor Bill Ecret and Quincy Building Official Carl Worley were also in attendance.