Police Beat: Capt. Richard Corriea

Fight graffiti vandalism
Several e-mails concerning the topic of graffiti have come my way recently, and a couple of Richmond residents suggested that I devote a column to the topic. I hope the following will give you some idea of what we are up against as a community and also what we can do together to make the Richmond a "zero graffiti zone."

Currently, the Inner Richmond and the Geary corridor are "graffiti hot spots." The colloquial verb for graffiti vandalism is "tagging," and the mark one makes is called a "tag." But these words don't seem to fairly describe the social and economic costs associated with graffiti. "Tag" is a harmless schoolyard game.

Graffiti vandalism is a crime, and oftentimes a felony. The actual amount of graffiti vandalism committed in the Richmond is difficult to quantify since the new graffiti we see almost daily exceeds the number of cases that are reported. Officers remain alert at all times for acts of vandalism and from time to time catch a person in the act and make an arrest.

However, experience tells me that it is your calls that lead to the majority of our arrests for graffiti vandalism. Please stay vigilant and keep calling.

On June 8, at 2 a.m., officers were dispatched to 11th Avenue and Clement Street on a call of two suspects that had vandalized a building with graffiti. The suspects had spray painted the side of a building with letters that each measured two feet by three feet. The graffiti was 22 letters long and covered an area of nearly 120 square feet.

The officers quickly located two people that matched the description the caller provided. The suspects had several cans of spray paint with them and both had paint on their hands.

The caller was brought to the scene and he positively identified the suspects as the perpetrators of the vandalism. Both individuals were arrested for felony vandalism and conspiracy.

At 4 a.m., on June 22, a passerby called 911 to report graffiti vandalism in progress. The caller heard the hiss of an aerosol paint can and saw two individuals vandalizing buildings at 18th and Geary.

The suspects were advancing eastbound on Geary, one on the north side of the street and one on the south. They vandalized buildings as they advanced from 18th Avenue to 12th Avenue. Another suspect followed the pair in his car, which carried additional cans of spray paint.

Between those two intersections the suspects vandalized numerous buildings with spray paint. Richmond Station officers met the caller at 12th and Geary and broadcast a description of the suspect's vehicle, which led to other Richmond Station officers stopping the vehicle minutes later at Gough Street and Geary. Three suspects were arrested for felony vandalism and conspiracy.

This crime could not have been solved without the caller's assistance and the quick response of Richmond Station officers Michael Elliston, Jason Hernandez, Gregory Burchard, Ryan Marino and Darius Jones, who have been formally commended for their comprehensive investigation of this incident.

If you see graffiti vandalism in progress, please call 911 immediately. If you discover graffiti after the suspects have fled, go to Richmond Station to make a report or call 553-0123 to request that a police officer come to your property, or file your report online at www.sfgov.org/site/police. You can also report graffiti you see anywhere in the City by calling 311 or visiting the Web site at www.sfgov.org/311.

The SF Department of Public Works (DPW) will paint-out graffiti on public property and notify other agencies and private property owners of the presence of graffiti so they can remove it. The DPW can compel property owners to choose between removing graffiti themselves or paying the costs for city crews to do the work.

Making a report is critical to help police identify graffiti vandalism trends, which we consider when we deploy officers and in developing crime reduction strategies.

In addition, since some graffiti vandals use the same mark each time they strike, we are at times able to connect an identified suspect to several incidents. Once you have reported graffiti vandalism on your property, it is important to remove it within 48 hours. Please photograph the graffiti before removing it.

You can prevent graffiti by reducing vandals' access to your property. Blank walls are an open invitation to graffiti vandals. Where possible, restrict access to walls with thorny shrubs, plants or vines. Rooftops are choice locations for graffiti vandals because their markings can be seen from a distance. Where possible, be sure to restrict access to your roof.

For additional graffiti abatement tips and a partial list of local companies that remove graffiti, go to the Web site at www.sfgov.org/dpw. Richmond Station Sgt. Frank Lee is our graffiti abatement officer. If you need any assistance, please call him at 666-8020.

Please attend the next Community/Police Forum on July 21, at 1 p.m., at the Richmond Recreation Center, which is located at 251 18th Ave. Our topic is graffiti vandalism.

The Richmond Station distributes a weekly newsletter by e-mail. If you would like to be added to our distribution list, please e-mail us at sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org. You can also visit http://richmondforum.wordpress.com to see our Web site, where current and past newsletters and periodic public safety advisories are posted.

Capt. Richard Corriea is the commanding officer at the Richmond Station.