From Captain Roosevelt Blow:
Thank you for sharing.

Just as an FYI, the sweep also covered Altadena and Pasadena. Fourteen
locations were targeted within the Altadena area. The various teams
consisted of Altadena Gang personnel, California Highway Patrol,
Probation Dept. Personnel, and Personnel from the California Dept. of
Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The Altadena Station team completed service on six of the fourteen
locations. No arrest made. At this time I have not been provided
specific information on the results of the other eight locations.

Editor Writerdeb: Isn’t it refreshing that our captain interacts with the community like this to keep us all informed?

Pasadena Star-News
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_11990212

Graffiti sweep nets 42 arrests
By Daniel Tedford, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/25/2009 09:33:14 AM PDT

Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies look over weapons that were confiscated during a press conference about the Gang/Vandalism/Graffiti Operation sweep on graffiti, parolees and those on probation at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarters on Wednesday March 25, 2009 in Monterey Park. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Keith Birmingham)

A machete, shotguns, rifles, home made nun chucks, knifes: not exactly what you expect to turn up during a raid geared toward graffiti.
But Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and other local agencies stressed the connection between violence, gangs and graffiti Wednesday following a probation sweep that tagged more than 40 arrests.

“It is a pressure system gangs use to recruit personnel,” said Lt. Tom Delgado of Pasadena’s Special Enforcement Section. “There is a tremendous connect (between gang violence and graffiti). People don’t understand how big that problem actually is.”

Wednesday’s sweep targeted 164 locations county wide, including 12 in Pasadena and others in Temple City and Altadena.

More than 300 sheriff’s, police and law enforcement staff were involved in the sweep that arrested 42 people, 30 for felonies, 22 for violating probation, and one for state parole violation. Weapons and drugs were also recovered during the sweep.

“One wouldn’t think graffiti would be accompanied by so many firearms — that is indeed the case,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. “People involved with graffiti and tagging aren’t innocent of the violence.”

Often called “tagger bangers” Baca and other law enforcement officials acknowledged graffiti as a gateway for individuals to join gangs and violent lifestyles.

Besides that, graffiti causes millions of dollars in damages and is an “eye sore” for the community, Baca said.

Sheriffs plan to strengthen efforts against graffiti, want to take efforts for more steadfast punishment, and plan to have more sweeps to show taggers they won’t be tolerated, Baca said.

“They want people to know who they are and now we know who they are,” Baca said. “Taggers don’t have any common sense. Common sense says find a better way of expressing yourself.”

Joint efforts by county officers and local agencies is the best way to combat the problem and to see an effort like the one on Wednesday is encouraging, Delgado said.

“We we see (graffiti) drastically come down is when we see law enforcement and the judicial system work together and hold people accountable,” Delgado said.