SAN ANTONIO - It doesn't matter where, public or private property, taggers keep striking and leaving marks around the city. It’s been a battle for some homeowners to get rid of the problem.
"Year after year, we notice the problem get worse," said Ed Cano, president of the Springvale Neighborhood Association.
"It's not clean. It promotes the negative," he added.
Despite cleanup efforts, there's still a lot of graffiti in the Springvale Subdivision. At one time, Pat Booker said gangs were responsible for a lot of the tagging, striking fear in the area.
"When you have to lock your door all day or you're scared to sit out front and it wasn't too long ago we had a drive-by across the street," she said.
Ed Cano said police helped cut down violent crime like assaults and break-ins. It's tougher to get a handle on tagging or graffiti.
Even though some fences remain clear months after a big paint job with the North Side Independent School District, neighbors wonder if there will be more tagging when students are out of school for the summer.
"We're gonna come out and we're gonna clean it up," said Ed Cano.
Tagging is also a big concern in the Wildhorse Vista Subdivision. A community watchman said he took picture and reported the problem that’s been reoccurring. He urges people to report criminal activity or this type of vandalism.
Lots of homeowners lashed out of Facebook about the tagging.
They were notified about a
smartphone app they could use to quickly report tagging and send photographs to police or the
San Antonio Graffiti Abatement Program.
City leaders believe it’s best to clear it out quickly, typically within 24 to 48 hours, to try to prevent more vandalism - though there’s no guarantee.
"The goal is if we can come out and cover it as quickly as they do it, that may deter them from doing it again," said Cano.
