Baldwin Park : New Limits on Spray Paint

Stores that sell cans of spray paint will have to keep them locked up or out of public view under a tough new anti-graffiti law passed Wednesday by the City Council.

The ordinance prohibits juveniles from buying spray paint and forbids anyone--including parents--from giving spray paint to minors. Speakers at City Council meetings frequently complain about the graffiti, particularly gang markings, that plague the city’s residential and business areas.

Penalties for breaking the law, which is a misdemeanor violation, can include as much as $1,000 in fines and up to a year in jail, Police Chief Carmine R. Lanza said. The city is also looking into programs establishing volunteer graffiti cleanup teams and rewards for people who report graffiti-markers.