A dozen surveillance cameras have been installed inside a San Fernando Valley tunnel hard-hit by graffiti vandalism.
The
711-foot tunnel on Sherman Way next to the Van Nuys Airport has been
riddled with graffiti for
years, and residents were fed up, said Stacy Bellew, a spokeswoman for
Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas, who represents the area.
“Our
main message was, 'Taggers beware. You are entering a no-tag zone,' ”
Bellew said. "If you decide to get out of your car and tag, we are
going to catch you at every angle.”
The
cameras and posted warning signs will serve as a deterrent to taggers
and help police catch violators, Bellew said. Two more cameras will be
installed within six weeks with the capability of capturing license
plate numbers, she said.
The city spent $36,000 on graffiti
removal in the tunnel last year, not including a general cleaning every
six months, according to the
city Department of Public Works. Business leaders, residents and
Cardenas' office raised $30,661 in public and private funds to install
the surveillance system, Bellew said.
“This
system will be a deterrent for taggers and will provide extra
surveillance for pedestrians who walk through the tunnel every day,”
said Steve Leffert, a member of the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council,
which contributed $6,000 to the project.
Bellew said she was
impressed with how the community took the project “into their own
hands,” and expressed hope that residents of other neighborhoods would
work to have similar surveillance equipment installed in their areas.
“It’s not just about catching taggers," she said. "It’s about public safety as well.”
—Gerrick D. Kennedy
