SOLANA BEACH — Prompted by a recent increase in graffiti, City Council is re-evaluating its ordinance to better address the problem. In response, officers from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department gave a presentation titled Graffiti 101 during the April 23 meeting.

“Graffiti is a problem in our community,” said Capt. Don Fowler. “An otherwise beautiful community is marked up and defamed. It costs a lot of money to clean this up. It’s an eyesore.”

It also decreases property values and negatively impacts the city’s reputation for livability, City Manager David Ott said.

“Most graffiti is done by gang members,” said Detective Lauren McAllister. “Gangs often use it as a means to identify their territory. … It’s often used to intimidate residents who live in the area, as well as to send a message to rival gangs,” she said. The best way to deter graffiti is to remove it as soon as possible. That sends a message to the gang that graffiti will not be tolerated. But always document the graffiti by photographing it before removal, she added.

“Interpreting gang graffiti is very important. It aids us in understanding what’s going on in that gang community (and) what message (they are) trying to send,” McAllister said.

Most graffiti in Solana Beach is from the city’s one documented street gang — Varrio Eden Gardens — and its rival gang from Encinitas. The Eden Gardens gang is identified by the moniker V357, while ENC distinguishes the Encinitas gang.

The Public Works Department estimates graffiti removal costs the city more than $8,300 annually. The department will remove it if property owners supply the paint.

Responding to an observation from Councilwoman Lesa Heebner that an increase in graffiti is often followed by an increase in violence, Fowler said his department could increase enforcement efforts with council support.

“We did step up enforcement last year in La Colonia Park and that created some problems. So we tried to step back a little bit from that, and as a result the graffiti increased. Now we’re seeing violence occurring in the city as well,” Fowler said. He also said he was afraid if they don’t take an aggressive stance, that it is going to continue to be a problem. He also said that council support includes allowing officers to contact people to see what they’re doing in the parks, see if they have graffiti items, and take a more authoritative stance.

“I’m getting fed up,” Mayor Joe Kellejian said. “It just seems like in the last couple of years this thing has really escalated and it’s getting worse and I’ve had it.”

The city currently offers a reward of up to $500 for information leading to a conviction. Kellejian suggested increasing that amount to “really make it something that has some teeth in it.”

“I want to stop this thing one way or another,” Kellejian said.

Residents are encouraged to report graffiti by calling the hot line at (858) 720-4457. Business cards containing hot line information are available at City Hall.

Other graffiti deterrents include planting hedges or shrubs, hanging plants or installing motion-activated lights or sprinklers in front of areas attractive to gang members, such as large blank walls or fences. Residents can form neighborhood watch groups by calling crime prevention specialist Henry Tirado at (760) 966-3588.

Proposed ordinance changes include offering a waiver for absentee owners allowing the city to automatically remove graffiti after three days and decreasing the time property owners have to remove graffiti from 10 days to three. Council aunanimously agreed to make the changes, although Councilman Thomas Campbell called the three-day limit an “unreasonable burden.”