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City and VCUSD coordinate on graffiti abatement and encampment removals near schools
Summary
Officials described hotspots for gang graffiti and encampments near Vallejo school sites and outlined the city's VFOG graffiti-abatement program, volunteer consent process, and potential patrol/partnership options with VPD and GVRD.
City and school district officials and trustees discussed a recurring graffiti problem near several Vallejo school sites and how the city’s VFOG program and interagency coordination can address it.
Director George Tisby, VCUSD director of site safety and custodial services, told the committee that gang-related graffiti has increased at Vallejo High School, Jesse Bethel High School and near Dan Mini, and that theft and loitering tied to nearby encampments have disrupted school operations. "We were dealing with a lot of theft, a lot of graffiti, just a lot of loitering in general," Tisby said, noting an encampment near Corvus Field was removed after coordination with the city police.
City staff explained the VFOG program for graffiti abatement: work is performed by volunteers or public-works crews with the property owner’s consent; materials are provided and there is no direct cost to property owners. The city manager’s office said consent lasts six months and that volunteer access requires owner permission. Trustee Hodges asked whether there is a cost to property owners; city staff replied there is not.
Council members and trustees explored ways to expand security and prevention: the city has engaged a private security firm for neighborhood patrols that could be coordinated to include school sites, and public-works staff said they conduct proactive weekly removal in targeted corridors. Rodney Henderson, public-works traffic supervisor, said SeeClickFix reports route directly to his team and he aims to respond within 24 hours.
Trustees also discussed the risks of involving students in direct graffiti removal because of gang recruitment concerns; they suggested alternatives such as student-led beautification projects separate from graffiti abatement. Officials agreed to coordinate police, GVRD and public-works resources and to share VFOG consent information with school sites so staff and families know how to request abatement.
