Tuesday, October 8, 2013

VIDEO: An Inside Look at Glendale's Graffiti Removal Program


Graffiti abatement techniques and practices have evolved in the years that Program Specialist Javier Covarrubias has been on the City’s graffiti removal team. Covarrubias helped lead the shift from an outdated “cover up” strategy to what he calls “surface restoration”, a specialized but highly efficient “removal” technique.

Watch this short video to see Javier in action.


Painting over graffiti, even graffiti on sidewalks, was not uncommon 20 years ago.  This he attributes to a lack of available technology at the time. Today the Graffiti Response Team tackles this blight in a vehicle custom-designed with Glendale in mind. For example, the truck is built on a smaller chassis, allowing it to fit in narrower streets which make accessing some hillside neighborhoods, like Adams Hill, safer and easier. The graffiti removal vehicle is fully equipped with the latest graffiti removal equipment and eco-friendly removal solvents.