CAMARILLO : Proposed Graffiti Law to Be Revised
Concerned that any residents carrying spray paint in public would become criminals under a proposed graffiti law, the Camarillo City Council has decided to revise the suggested ordinance.
The council Wednesday told city staff members to change the proposed ordinance so it would not ensnare innocent residents.
Councilman David Smith said Thursday that he supported the proposed law’s requirement that parents of minors who are caught marking graffiti pay damages of up to $10,000 to the owner of the defaced property.
The proposed law also forbids minors from purchasing spray paint, glass-etching tools or certain other implements that could be used for graffiti.
But Smith said the ordinance went too far in making it illegal for residents of any age to possess such tools in public places.
The key to cutting down on graffiti, Smith said, is to punish the culprits and to paint over all graffiti markings as quickly as possible.
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