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Spray paint for graffiti crimes easy to come by in Petaluma

PD FILE, 2006
Graffiti in American Alley in Downtown Petaluma

By MARY CALLAHAN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 10:37 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 5:44 p.m.

A 2-year-old law prohibiting Petaluma stores from selling spray paints to underage teens has yet to win the embrace of the local business community, police said this week.

The results of a sting operation in which underage decoys were sent into 10 stores to buy the stuff Wednesday tells the tale: clerks at all 10 shops closed the deal, authorities said.

Police also found that none of the stores had posted signs as required by city code indicating that minors under 18 are prohibited from possessing or being furnished aerosol sprays or any other “graffiti implement.”

Police said the city has had 218 reported cases of graffiti this year, as of Thursday.

In one case, 15 juveniles were arrested, some of whom had been supplied materials by their parents, police said.

Police officers involved in Wednesday’s sting met with store managers to explain the law but plan additional operations aimed at enforcement, as well efforts to educate parents.


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  1. towerman says...
    November 20, 2008 12:44:12 pm

    Somewhere along the line these uneducated yahoos of youthful society learned how to write...just enough to make their mark.

    Buildings are one thing, it is private property, but I have seen the same style of damage done to areas in national parks. There is one place in The Valley of Fire East of Las Vegas where graffiti was painted over scribings in the rock by early inhabitants...who knows just how long ago but 300 BC has been a guess by the state park.These vandals need to do some serious time if old enough and if not their parents should pay to have the clean up work performed!

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  2. commander_bunny says...
    November 20, 2008 10:03:39 pm


    I've seen graffiti on gorgeous granite bluffs miles into "primitive-areas" in National Wildernesses, They really don't care, it seems.

    On the other hand, I've seen 11th century graffiti carved into the lead on roofs on many a European Church/Muenster in my travels as well.

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