Published on Monday, November 15, 1993
© 1993 The Arizona Republic

Byline: By Ben Winton, THE PHOENIX GAZETTE

It wasn't the rain that kept the graffiti off Phoenix's walls and buildings Sunday, Richard Fox believes.

It was residents who took back their neighborhoods, sending the message that they won't tolerate the defacing of their homes, businesses and public property.

Fox, president of the Block Watch Citizens' Advisory Council, said that it appeared the city's Paint-Out and Clean-up Day on Saturday was a success. No new graffiti appeared on Sunday -- not even in the most notorious of neighborhoods.

''The significance of the weekend was to focus everybody's attention on graffiti so they can understand we have the beginnings of a serious problem,'' Fox said.

Using 10,000 gallons of donated paint, 2,500 paint rollers and 500 paint brushes, 2,500 volunteers fanned across the city Saturday to wipe out graffiti.

But for the graffiti to stay off, neighborhoods are going to have to organize and let spray-painters know that their community is off-limits.

Fox believes the majority of vandalism is the work of ''taggers,'' individuals trying to stamp out an identity or gang wanna-bes. He said the public's fear of gang retaliation for removing graffiti is overblown.

In his own neighborhood, just east of the State Fairgrounds, residents learned that they can fight back with a graffiti of their own -- Block Watch signs.

''The first graffiti started out as gangs marking territory. That's why Block Watch pushes signs because then you are marking your territory,'' Fox said.

Fox's neighborhood organized what residents call a ''Sunset Policy.'' If a neighbor spots graffiti on someone's property, he notifies the individual, who has agreed to a goal of painting over the markings before dark.

He estimates that between 75 and 100 neighborhoods have organized anti-graffiti campaigns and hopes that Saturday's event will encourage others to join in.

Phoenix started its Graffiti Busters program in 1990. But Fox said city officials hope that community organizations can keep the Valley from the fate of Los Angeles, which has had to adopt a $25 million annual budget to fight graffiti.

Color photo by James Garcia / THE PHOENIX GAZETTE

Ed Goss paints over graffiti on a wall at Interstate 17 and Glenrosa Avenue during Saturday's Paint-Out and Clean-up Day.