Graffiti: Art or Vandalism

Graffiti is spreading from cities to rural areas.

Call it vandalism or call it art -- graffiti seems to be an addictive habit.

Some fear that the bright spray is a symbol of the inner decay of a generation of young people that can only find fulfillment on the run.

Millions of dollars are spent nationwide on cleaning up and preventing more of the bright, sometimes threatening, scrawl.

They spray and run. Some are gangs marking territory, but most are just taggers scrawling their names or symbols to gain personal recognition.

Experts and city leaders have gathered to form battle plans against graffiti. They fear graffiti is threatening the survival of entire communities.

"The neighborhood begins to deteriorate, and then that invites first minor crime and then major crime", said Richard Condon, who organized a graffiti conference. "We can see this in a lot of our cities where graffiti has just taken over."

Getting kids to clean up their graffiti doesn't work. Experts say they only learn how to do it better so it can't be removed as easily next time.

Murals help -- to a point -- keeping one wall clean, but not those around it.

Many authorities agree that the best approach is zero tolerance -- removing graffiti within 24 hours.

It is believed that if we allow graffiti to stay it only encourages others to vandalize and leave their mark.

Some cities are trying different approaches such as covering the taggers' canvases.

"You plant these quick-growing vines that take very little maintenance or very little water. The vines grow up the building and they just don't touch them", said Gary McAdam of Operation Clean Sweep in Los Angeles.

Sociologist, Vicki Wilson, says some are looking to cyberspace for a graffiti alternative to concrete space.

"They're saying scan your tags, achieve your fame over the Internet, but then stay off the streets", said Wilson.

Tougher laws, such as making parents responsible for some of the billions of dollars in yearly cleanup costs, are making a difference.

But not when police departments are already stretched to the limit addressing violent crime.

"Sometimes it's difficult to go out on service and lock up a person doing graffiti. Especially if it's some kid with no criminal record", said Sgt. Donald Lyddane of the Washington Metropolitan Police.

One former tagger insists kids who spray graffiti don't need to be jailed.

"They are just basically telling you, Hey, I need some help. I need you to pull me in", said Luis Cardona, Executive Director of D.C. Barrios Unidos. "But they are not going to tell you that. That's how I used to feel."