Graffiti plaguing South Bend neighborhood

by Kelli Cheatham (kcheatham@wsbt.com)

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Graffiti on a vacant building in South Bend.

Graffiti vandals have hit nearly 60 sites already this year on South Bend's west side. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Apr 7, 2008 at 5:19 AM EST

Story Updated: Apr 7, 2008 at 7:46 AM EST

SOUTH BEND — Graffiti has been a problem on South Bend's west side for a long time. But this year some neighbors say it's worse than ever. That's why people who live there are taking the problem to the Common Council in a special meeting Monday night.

Police patrol the area, even setting up stings. But the kids who are spray painting or "tagging" keep going back. They've hit garages, businesses, playgrounds and parks. It seems nothing on the west side is safe from their spray paint.

"If one is to live in this neighborhood and wake up every morning and look out their window and see a building that has graffiti all over it, gang symbols or foul language written on there, it's quite discouraging," said South Bend Weed & Seed committee member Mark Dollinger.

Neighbors try to watch out for each other. WSBT found John Pietraszewski painting one woman's house that had just been vandalized the night before.

"She's not feeling well so I said, 'Well I'll just take care of it, go ahead and cover up the graffiti,'" he said.

But many people say this year the graffiti is worse.

Dollinger said Weed & Seed volunteers have already covered up about 60 vandalized sites this year — almost double the amount they've normally done by this date in April.

No matter how many times they paint over it, the graffiti never truly goes away. In fact vandals are often back days, sometimes hours, later to re-tag property they've already hit.

Cindy Deleon has lived on the west side for 18 years. She told WSBT neighbors are starting to get angry.

That's why neighbors and Weed and Seed members are asking the city to do something about the problem.

"We need to work with the police to apprehend, we need to work with the neighbors and residents to deter and we need to work with the court system to enforce whatever laws there are that need to be enforced," Mark Dollinger said.

"It's just too bad they wouldn't take their talent and put it on paper rather than people's properties," said Deleon.

Monday night's meeting with the Common Council's Board of Health and Public Safety is at 5 p.m. on the fourth floor of the County City Building.

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