Law Enforcement
The City partners with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department COBRA (Gang and Juvenile Crime Team) and the Community Interaction Team (CIT) to apprehend graffiti vandals.
In 2007, the Sheriff's Department made over 150 arrests with a 100% conviction rate and shut down approximately 10 tagging crews responsible for thousands of dollars in damages.
The Cobra Unit from the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station has received numerous emails and phone calls from all over the United States, including Colorado, Florida, and Georgia, inquiring as to how the City and the Sheriff’s Department work together to combat graffiti, including how we track and investigate graffiti offenses. The City of Santa Clarita serves as a model of how law enforcement and local government can work together to effectively and successfully combat graffiti.
Sting Operations
Sting operations are conducted by members of the Sheriff’s Department and the City’s Graffiti Removal Team at local hardware and home improvement stores to ensure compliance with the City’s ordinance which requires spray paint and large-tipped markers to be locked up. Stores are cited if they are in violation of the ordinance. Stings are also conducted at the Saugus Swap Meet to ensure that spray paint is locked up and not being sold to minors.