Graffiti affects EC downtown businesses

An El Centro downtown business owner said graffiti and vandalism are affecting his business. “There has been a lot of graffiti. Actually my store’s been vandalized Halloween evening,” Frank Lara said.

Lara said graffiti can be seen along Main Street. “People actually writing on our facades of our businesses. On the front windows. All over the outsides,” Lara said. He said some people in the area have actually seen the taggers, as they are called. “I would say two teens ‘because we had two different monikers written on our facade of our building on Halloween night, so,” Lara said.

Lara supports murals and other graphic arts, but says graffiti is not art when it’s done to deface the façade of a store. “Yes. That does affect us negatively,” Lara said.

Lara said El Centro downtown has received more attention from authorities lately. “They’ve been patrolling the area and they’ve actually come by and spoken with each of the businesses around here and they’ve actually followed up with us, too,” Lara said. But he says the area needs more. “We’d have to have higher police presence,” Lara said.

We spoke to other business owners who were also affected by the graffiti but they wouldn’t make comments on camera. They said they fear if they speak out it will just make things worse for their businesses.

Lara said until those responsible for the graffiti are stopped, all they can do is keep painting their walls over and keep doing business.