I find graffiti disgusting as I’m sure you do. I was appalled at newspaper pictures last month of the tagging on several garage doors in one of our beautiful Goodyear neighborhoods. I have urged our Police Department and City staff to declare “war” on the taggers that are defacing our city. Our residents shouldn’t be required to spend their hard-earned money erasing tagging from their property.

This is Goodyear – where we enjoy life and refuse to put up with these damaging offenses. I assure you we will make every effort to arrest these culprits and prosecute them to the letter of the law. If juveniles, they are sent to the County Attorney’s Office which is very hard on graffiti offenders. They can lose their driving privileges until they are 18. They can be fined and assigned many hours of community services. If adults, they stay in the Goodyear system where we have “zero tolerance” for graffiti offenders. We typically require jail time, a fine, restitution for damages, court and County jail costs and probation. If a Class 1 misdemeanor, fines can go as high as $2,500 with six months jail time and three years probation.

Councilmember, Dick Sousa