6-3-1. Legislative determination.

The County Commission hereby declares as a matter of legislative determination that:

(1) The increasing incidents of the defacement of public and private property through the application of graffiti upon walls, rocks, bridges, buildings, fences, gates, other structures, trees and other real and personal property within the boundaries of the County constitutes a blight on this community, and, in the interests of the health, safety and general welfare of the residents and taxpayers of the County, immediate steps must be taken to remove this blight.
(2) Based upon reports which the County Commission has received, such defacement of property is most often committed by persons under the age of 18 years using aerosol containers of spray paint, broad tipped indelible markers.
(3) When any such person has a legitimate need for such aerosol containers and markers, the same may be furnished by a parent or guardian.
(4) Such aerosol containers and markers are frequently stolen from retail stores by such persons.
(5) The sale of such aerosol containers and markers to such persons should therefore be prohibited, and persons who are engaged in the retail sale of such aerosol containers and markers should be required to take reasonable steps to prevent the theft of such aerosol containers and markers.
(6) When appropriate, the courts should require those who commit acts of defacement of public or private property through the application of graffiti to restore the property so defaced, damaged or destroyed.
(7) Obtaining convictions for the application of graffiti is difficult due to the fact that the offense can be committed so very quickly and secretively that witnesses to the act are frequently nonexistent.
(8) The public should be encouraged, through the promise of a reward, to cooperate in the elimination of graffiti by reporting to the proper authorities the incidents of the application of graffiti which the members thereof observe. (Ord. 95-19, 9/12/95; Ord. 95-17, 9/20/95)