It's not exactly the Batmobile. But thanks to a local businessman, Craig Ward will roll on his graffiti-eradication missions in a vehicle better suited to his chosen crime-fighting activities.
"Super Dave is donating a van," said Ward, speaking of Dave Nosack of Super Dave's Motorcars in Medford.
Disgusted with the proliferation of profanity and other spray-painted offenses popping up on Rogue Valley walls, Ward began his own private effort to "seek and destroy" graffiti in June.
"I carry spray cans with me all the time. I must go through at least three a week," said Ward, who lives outside of Jacksonville and works as a private moneylender and author when not attacking urban scrawl.
As word of Ward's war has spread, some local paint companies have donated supplies to stock his arsenal, he said.
Advertisement | |
Donating the van "seemed like a smart and sensible thing to do," Nosack said. There are no graffiti issues at his Riverside Avenue car lot. But Nosack is seeing graffiti blight in downtown areas of every local community, he said.
"It's a growing problem," said Nosack. "And I just happened to have a van."
Medford code enforcement officer Joe Jimenez has helped Ward locate graffiti and instructed him on how to take photos of the graffiti before he eradicates it. The photos are used as evidence against the vandals when they are caught, said Ward, 58.
Classified as criminal mischief, graffiti comes in waves and is not necessarily affiliated with gang activity, according to Lt. Tim George of the Medford Police Department. Generally one or two individuals will be good for a lot of the graffiti, George said in June.
Jimenez says he doesn't like euphemisms like "tagging."
"It isn't 'tag,' like 'you're it'," said Jimenez. "It is destructive. It is vandalism. It is hurtful. The 'F' word. The 'J' word. The 'N' word. Just go down the alphabet. People feel threatened and violated."
Medford, like many other municipalities, has an ordinance that requires property owners to remove graffiti at their own expense and within strict timelines, said Jimenez.
"When we find it, we contact the owner of the building and give them 10 days to remove it," said Jimenez.
Sometimes that can be overwhelming to ill or elderly property owners, said Jimenez.
"That's when I'll tell them about Mr. Ward," said Jimenez. "We have to tell (property owners) to remove it. How it gets removed is up to them."
Ward says he's not alone in his quest. More and more communities are organizing to fight graffiti. If vandals might realize their illegal activity is only going to be up for a few hours or a day, they might rethink their actions. And he can go back to his day job, he says.
Ward can be reached at 324-2102 or tag_busters@yahoo.com.
Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or at sspecht@mailtribune.com
