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You'd Better Silence That Spray Paint

SoCal city installs sensors that can hear graffiti artists

By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 16, 2007 9:11 AM CST
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(Newser) – If you’re going out to tag in Montebello, Calif., consider using a paintbrush. The Los Angeles neighborhood has spent $1 million on an anti-graffiti system that can hear aerosol cans up to 80 feet away. The 25 “tagger traps” employ sound sensors to catch graffiti artists red-(or blue- or green-) handed the moment they deface public spaces, the Los Angeles Times reports.

It's "a lot of money,” a local cop allowed, “but we're spending close to $700,000 a year repairing graffiti”—a figure officials hope its new system will halve within four years. For its part, LA cleaned up 60 million square feet of graffiti last year—but its $7 million cleanup budget can’t be stretched to cover a nasal police state just yet.

  ((c) Stella Dauer)
The city of Los Angeles is combating graffiti by installing cameras equipped with sensors that are triggered by the sound of spray cans.
The city of Los Angeles is combating graffiti by installing cameras equipped with sensors that are triggered by the sound of spray cans.   (Shutterstock.com)
Gang graffiti is painted on the sidewalk on 103rd Street in front of David Starr Jordan High School in the Watts district of Los Angeles April 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Gang graffiti is painted on the sidewalk on 103rd Street in front of David Starr Jordan High School in the Watts district of Los Angeles April 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)   (Associated Press)
  ((c) Jonas B)
A graffiti artist applies fresh a coat. The new Los Angeles cameras will be triggered by the hissing sound of a can of spray paint.
A graffiti artist applies fresh a coat. The new Los Angeles cameras will be triggered by the hissing sound of a can of spray paint.   ((c) adactio)
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