The city of Santa Clarita’s anti-graffiti team documented and then deleted hate speech spraypainted onto a paseo Saturday at Summit Park in Valencia, according to accounts from city and sheriff’s officials.
A nearby resident who saw photos of the vandalism before deletion described it as a swastika painted on a trash can, and a racist, homophobic slur that was spraypainted on the walkway. The resident described the graffiti as being near the entrance, and near several oak trees usually decorated with holiday fare.
It looked like the culprit used green spray paint, according to the witness, who asked to remain anonymous because the person lived in the area and was “just passing on information.”
The person who shared the photos said around 7:30 a.m. the incident had been reported to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and the city.
A city spokesman referred to the SCV Sheriff’s Station for a Universal Reporting Number from the incident as of this story’s notification, sending an email Tuesday with the following statement:
“In this instance, the city’s Graffiti Removal team documented the graffiti prior to removal and provided photo evidence to the Sheriff’s Department to support their investigation,” according to the email from Joe Redmond of the city’s Communications Division.
SCV Sheriff’s Station officials did not have an official report of the incident as of Monday afternoon. A station spokesperson was not available Tuesday to answer questions about the incident.
The SCV Sheriff’s Station received a report at 9:56 a.m. Saturday “which was secondhand info,” according to an email Monday afternoon from Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
“The station received a call which was secondhand info,” she wrote. “The caller stated that they were told by someone else that someone was doing graffiti on the wall at Summit Park. Upon arrival to the areas, deputies could find no graffiti and no evidence of crime.”
A city official confirmed Tuesday that the city’s graffiti team was out there Saturday morning.
“The graffiti was located, documented and fully removed by the city’s graffiti-removal team later that morning, in accordance with city protocols,” according to an email Tuesday from Redmond. “The city condemns all acts of hate and vandalism and remains committed to maintaining safe and welcoming public spaces for all.”
A request for the city’s documentation of the incident was referred to the city’s Public Record Act request portal on Tuesday.
The city’s website touts that quick removal from Community Services Division staff is one way the city tries to discourage future graffiti.
