Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Tonya Papanikolas ReportingGang members aren't the only ones who leave graffiti.
Graffiti-- called "tagging"-- is popping up all around the valley, from parks to schools. It's been especially heavy in the last couple of weeks.
The Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Department told us they've been hit hard. And schools in the Jordan district are seeing tagging. At Ridgecrest Elementary, some people climbed up on the roof over the weekend and painted all over the backside of the school.
It may be something you'd normally see at a skate park or along a highway. But the bright-colored graffiti is popping up at schools like Ridgecrest Elementary.
Sgt. Paul Brenneman/ Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office: "The type of graffiti we are seeing here is not the typical gang graffiti. It's tagger graffiti, which is more artistic in nature."
"Tagging" can be pretty elaborate. The vandals at this school left behind stencils with their spray-paint. The bright colors take awhile to remove.
The Jordan school district says it's spent 23-thousand dollars on repairing vandalism this school year. That's more than the total for all of last year. Graffiti experts say it tends to come in waves. And when spring hits, more tagging crews make their mark where they can.
Sgt. Paul Brenneman: "It would suggest that we have kids who are pretty artistic and talented kids, up to no good."
East High art teacher Patricia Clay says taggers are talented. She wants to encourage them to use their skills in a positive way, so she's formed an after-school group that works on lettering.
Patricia Clay, East High Art Teacher: "We really needed to have a place for them that was safe, where they felt safe doing it, where it was legitimate."
The kids say they appreciate being able to express themselves through tagging. They plan to continue their art indoors.
Ceciley Hallman, "Tagging" Artist: "You're able to do this type of artwork without doing something bad."
Tien Nguien, "Tagging" Artist: "That's just a better way of expressing myself instead of doing something dumb on the streets."
The kids will probably be entering their art in a show this spring.
But as for the tagging vandalism, the sheriff's office wants the public's help. They say by the time police are informed, it's often too late.
