Graffiti is a blighting influence on our entire community. It is an act of vandalism that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up every year. Although the City of Escondido dedicates significant resources to control graffiti, the city cannot be effective acting alone. Private citizens are encouraged to take active steps toward maintaining their individual property.

If you see graffiti vandalism in progress, call 9-1-1 and report it immediately to the Escondido Police.

Do not confront the vandals. Although they may appear to be harmless, they may be carrying weapons. The police will respond based on the priority of the crime compared to others for which they have calls at the time.

To learn more about your community resources on graffiti, gang, and drug prevention, click here.

If you find graffiti on your property, you should remove it immediately. By doing so, you will discourage further graffiti. Graffiti vandals want to gain recognition for their work and once they realize that their graffiti will be removed quickly from a location, they will ultimately be deterred from striking there again.

If you find graffiti on public property, report it to the city for removal or call (760) 839-4668.

You can also volunteer to participate in the “WE CLEAN ESCONDIDO”   Adopt-a-Block litter removal program by contacting the Recycling Hotline at 760-839-6216 and listening to the recorded message on “WE CLEAN ESCONDIDO”.