Mountain View and Santa Clara Street.

This past week’s Police Blotter showed a disturbing spike in vandalism/graffiti in Fillmore. 21 reports were made in three days.

In February 2022 five juveniles from Fillmore were arrested for graffiti vandalism and conspiracy to commit a crime after they were caught defacing property at a local Fillmore park. All the arrestees were cited and released to their parents pending a future court date. The juveniles had spray painted graffiti on the tables, benches, and playground equipment which caused hundreds of dollars of damage to the city owned property. During the month of January 2022, there was also an increase in graffiti vandalism throughout the City of Fillmore.

Graffiti vandalism is an eyesore that directly affects the quality of life in our communities.

If left unchecked, graffiti can decrease property values and lead to the deterioration of entire neighborhoods. Gang graffiti may also be the catalyst for additional, more serious conflicts between rival gangs. The removal of graffiti costs homeowners, business owners and taxpayers thousands of dollars each year. Fillmore 2021 graffiti cleanup cost the city $6,817 dollars. The Fillmore Police Department encourages citizens to immediately report suspicious people and vehicles, and to promptly report any graffiti they come across by calling (805) 524-2233 or (805) 654-9511.

Once the police have investigated these crimes, all graffiti should be immediately removed.