Graffiti Abatement
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What is the City doing about graffiti?
The Beautification and Maintenance Team (BAM), housed within the Parks Division, is responsible for graffiti removal and trash/debris cleanup on city-owned property. Annually, the team addresses over 2,000 graffiti notices, removes almost 100,00 square feet of graffiti, and hauls away over 3,500 truckloads of trash and debris.
How can I report graffiti?
Phone: 805-654-7805
Email: [email protected]
Please provide as much detail about the graffiti location as possible:
- Address, street name, and cross street of the graffiti. A detailed description will help crews locate the graffiti quickly.
- Structure or object the graffiti is on.
- Your name and phone number in case crews are unable to locate the graffiti.
- Date and time of your call
- If reporting via e-mail, please include a photo
If you witness graffiti vandalism in-progress, always report it to the Ventura Police Department by calling 911. Never try to intervene. When calling, please make note of the individual’s physical description and direction of travel if they leave the initial location so officers can respond and attempt to locate the individual.
Additional Graffiti Abatement Information
California Department of Transportation (CalTrans)
Graffiti located on freeways, including on/off ramps.
Phone: 805-389-1106
Ventura County Watershed Protection Agency
Phone: 805-378-3033
Ventura Unified School District
Phone: 805-498-4557 x201
Private Property
If graffiti is visible from the City's public right-of-way, the City offers a graffiti removal service free of charge, upon request. To initiate this service, the residential property owner will receive a letter, stating that they have the option of either completing a form, giving the City permission to remove the graffiti, or taking care of the removal themselves.
Before proceeding with the removal process, the property owner or their authorized representative must sign a hold harmless waiver. Alternatively, property owners who opt to remove the graffiti themselves are granted a maximum of five business days to complete the task.
County Property or Unincorporated Areas
City staff does not remove graffiti in unincorporated County areas of the City. If graffiti is found outside City limits, the County will be notified. You can also report a concern to the county.
Graffiti Tracking Program
The Parks and Recreation Department and the Police Department utilize a Graffiti Tracking system to coordinate the enforcement and removal of graffiti. Keeping track of graffiti vandalism can help identify crime trends and help us focus our efforts in those specific locations. Additionally, when individuals are prosecuted for their graffiti, the Graffiti Tracking Program supports retribution efforts, enabling the City to recover abatement costs.
Graffiti Prevention
There are several steps you can take to prevent graffiti vandalism:
- Contact the property owner whose building has been vandalized by graffiti and stress the importance of quick cleanup. Rapid removal tells vandals that people care about their place of business and neighborhood and that their work has little chance of being seen.
- Plain smooth surfaces invite graffiti.
- Choose paints and coatings to deter graffiti. Textured walls, dark paint, and chain-link fences make graffiti hard to see. Anti-graffiti coatings are options as well.
- Plant trees, shrubs, or climbing vines to restrict access to empty walls. Plants with thorns or strong scents are also strong deterrents.
- Install motion-sensor lighting to deter vandals from popular graffiti sites.