Seaside community fed up with graffiti

Graffiti, tagging, urban artwork–whatever you want to call it, the City of Seaside wants to put a stop to it.

“It’s a serious problem,” said Commander Bruno Dias with the Seaside Police Department.

Dias said the graffiti in the city is a combination of gang activity and tagging crews, but both can be harmful to the community.

“People get the assumption that this is a rundown section of the city,” said Dias.

Police are nowasking for the community to fight back. On Saturday, police and volunteers will take to the streets of Seaside, to try to make the graffiti go away. One priority is the alley behind Denese Sanders’ community art studio. As an artist she said she understands the need for artistic expression, but not breaking the law.

“There’s a time and a place to express yourself, but on the walls and buildings it’s not it,” said Sanders.

Sanders is hoping the community anti-graffiti effort can make this alley what it used to be– a quiet walkway that attracts locals instead of turning them away.

“It’s my livelihood, it’s my place of business, but it’s not fair for people to take advantage of something that doesn’t belong to them,” said Sanders.

Police say tagging isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a crime with penalties ranging from fines to felony charges.

Graffiti Abatement Day
Saturday, August 23
9:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Seaside City Hall