Officials work to eliminate graffiti along popular
By Alex Wilson 12/03/2009
Law enforcement officers at the local and federal levels are alarmed by an explosion of graffiti along one of the most scenic and popular trails in the Los Padres National Forest, and plan to crack down on vandals.
Santa Paula Canyon is renowned for gushing waterfalls, pine trees and swimming holes known to locals as Punch Bowls, but some people are now afraid to visit because there’s so much graffiti covering rocks and trees.
Ojai Ranger District Wilderness Trails Manager Heidi Anderson leads a volunteer litter removal effort the third Saturday of every other month, and says the amount of graffiti has skyrocketed. “It’s appalling. And it just keeps getting worse. In the last year, it’s probably tenfold of anything prior to that, so it’s increasing exponentially,” says Anderson.
The trash and paint also impact wilderness critters living there, like bears, mountain lions and endangered condors.
“As far as the wildlife like the fish and any animals that use it as a drinking source, it’s definitely having a negative impact on them,” says Anderson.
Anderson seems doubtful that the graffiti can ever be completely eliminated at this point. “We used to be able to drive up there with a sandblaster, and be able to sandblast the rocks,” says Anderson. “Now, you go up there every two months and you just see more, and more and more graffiti.”
Some graffiti is clearly the work of criminal street gangs, but the majority of it is painted by so-called tagging crews and random vandals. “Recently, there was ‘Jesus loves you’ with purple paint on 15 rocks,” says Anderson. “They want to get their message out, but that’s not the way to do it.”
Anderson says a confrontation with scary people who failed to respect her authority made her think twice about hiking the canyon alone. She wears a U.S. Forest Service Ranger uniform but carries no gun for her job, and says her law enforcement training told her to flee. “If your gut feeling tells you to get out of there, that’s what you need to do,” says Anderson.
Even though no violence erupted that day, Anderson says it’s something that’s in the back of her mind when she’s in Santa Paula Canyon. “I’ve personally told the District Ranger I won’t go up there alone anymore,” says Anderson, “Because my personal safety is in jeopardy.”
After learning about the recent spike in graffiti, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Gang Unit Sergeant Bill Shireman rode a sheriff’s helicopter to the upper reaches of the canyon, where photographs documenting the destruction were taken that might be used in future criminal cases.
At a popular swimming area, rock walls were covered with graffiti that was visible all the way from the helicopter flying far above. People enjoying the spot that day were disgusted by all the graffiti they were confronted with, as they swam and jumped off cliffs into the clear mountain water.
Ojai resident Tyler Wadsworth, 19, says he loves looking at the natural beauty of the jagged cliffs, trees and waterfalls, but the graffiti detracted from his experience. “It’s cool to see, and then the graffiti makes it less interesting,” said Wadsworth. “It’s just kind of pointless. Really, it’s dumb. I don’t know why they do it.”
Seeing one layer of gang or tagging crew graffiti on top of another is a particular concern for gang unit members, since rivals sometimes challenge each other to fights that way.
“When a gang puts their mark on a wall, they’re basically claiming that as their territory. Then when another gang comes up here, they see there’s a rival gang up here and they’re going to cross it out, and in some situations, that can lead to violence,” says Shireman. “Absolutely, it’s a worry. Obviously, there are several different gangs up here who put their mark on the rocks, and if they get up here at the same time, there are going to be problems.”
Shireman hasn’t lost hope that the canyon can be cleaned up if people change their attitudes about preserving the nature there and pitch in to help clean up.
The Sheriff’s Department also plans enhanced enforcement efforts, including sending uniformed patrols and equestrian units into the canyon, and sting operations where undercover deputies hiding in bushes with binoculars can observe vandals in the act. “Maybe we can catch some of these people doing this so we can show there are consequences,” says Shireman.
By publicizing the problem, busting vandals, and getting more people on board with cleanup efforts, Shireman believes there’s a chance of eliminating all the graffiti someday. “I think there is. It’s going to take some work, but with the right community support, I think we can get this all removed,” says Shireman. “Nature is here for you to enjoy, not to destroy.”
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