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Patterson’s new graffiti truck has been rolling around the city for close to three weeks.

The box-shaped truck is equipped with a power washer and a paint sprayer, so it can quickly remove or cover graffiti when it pops up. Patterson City Council voted in October to buy the rig for close to $80,000, with an annual expense of about $55,000.

Mayor Becky Campo said it’s a big chunk of change, but it’s well worth it.

“It’s important for the city to tackle (graffiti) as soon as it gets it,” Campo said. “We don’t want the city to appear blighted.”

So far, the truck has been used primarily to remove gang graffiti, which often marks gangs’ territory. The city employee charged with manning the truck said he has not seen any “art graffiti,” and there is not too much of the “Billy loves Sue” type, either.

“It’s mostly the gang stuff,” said the graffiti removal tech, who did not wish to have his name used because of security worries.

He said he has received a few hard looks as does his job, but no one has confronted him.
He hopes to keep it that way. In other cities, the graffiti removal tech said, graffiti abatement workers have been shot at.

“Some people stare,” he said. “Others come by and give positive comments.”

The tech isn’t new to the Patterson graffiti removal game. He’s been doing it part time with the city’s parks and recreation department for years. However, since January, he has been able to dedicate himself strictly to graffiti removal.

In January, he wiped out 31 marks, and he has been removing more each month since. In February, he got rid of 42 tags, and in March, he removed 51.

Since getting the truck in April, he has been able to greatly accelerate his pace. From April 1 to Thursday, he washed off or painted over 60 pieces. He’s usually on the streets five to six hours a day and the pieces have been as small as two-inches by two-inches to three-feet-tall and 75-feet long, he said.

Still, there is much more graffiti in town than he has time to deal with. Initially, city staff thought the graffiti tech would work on graffiti removal only part time after the program got going. Now, he expects it will at least be six months before he can think about doing anything else.

His next big task will be going through alleys in southern Patterson.

“That will take months and months and months,” the graffiti removal tech said. “Power wash, paint over it, we do whatever it takes.”

His job does not just take place on the streets. The technician spends much of his time filling out forms for the police and code enforcement departments and working with residents to get graffiti removed from their property.

The city removes graffiti at no cost to property owners. People who want to report graffiti can do so through a new city hotline at 895-8096. The tip line receives a mix of calls from people hoping to get graffiti off their property and people who have noticed tagging around town.

“I like to get out there the same day (I get a call),” the graffiti removal tech said.

To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it