Graffiti from SMPD's Perspective

San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams said police try to prevent instances of graffiti and have it covered rapidly because graffiti decreases property values. Chief Williams supports the ordinance, “I believe this ordinance would give police one tool to prevent the application of graffiti before the damage is already done.”
The University Star editorials and the community are worried that the police could profile someone who has not committed a crime but Chief Howard said, “The police can tell the difference between a legitimate artist and someone intent of defacing property.”

The Graffiti Hurts website offers other tips to prevent graffiti such as educating the community about graffiti prevention, light dark places that get hit with graffiti, adopt a wall to paint if it gets covered, remove graffiti promptly, and use graffiti resistant surfaces.

The San Marcos police purchased a $32,000 baking soda, water, air, high pressure blaster in 2008 to remove graffiti. According to a San Marcos City Hall documents, the penalties for graffiti depends on the damage and the place that has been defaced:

“Penalties are assessed based on the loss suffered by the property owner. Depending on the damage and the target, the offense may range from Class A or B misdemeanors with fines up to $4,000 and jail time from six months to a year to felonies. Scrawling graffiti on schools, higher education institutions, places of worship, cemeteries, public monuments, or community centers providing medical, social or educational programs makes the crime a state jail felony. Depending on the degree of the felony, fines and punishment range up to $10,000 with imprisonment from two year to up to 99 years for a first degree felony.”