Despite a recent report indicating a slight decrease in graffiti removal requests in Los Angeles last year, Koreatown remains heavily impacted by graffiti.
Notably, Koreatown saw more graffiti removals than the number of reported requests, suggesting extensive cleanup efforts beyond official reports.
According to the data from LA’s city service platform MyLA311, statistics media outlet Crosstown reported on February 20 that a total of 317,372 graffiti removal requests were recorded in LA last year. This marks a slight 3% decrease from the previous year’s 326,861 cases.
However, despite this decline, certain areas, including Koreatown, continue to struggle with graffiti.
The report revealed that 11,761 graffiti removals were conducted in Koreatown last year, ranking the neighborhood sixth among major areas in LA. On average, city officials removed about 32 cases of graffiti per day in the area.
Currently, the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) handles the majority of graffiti removal efforts in Koreatown through a contract with the LA Office of Community Beautification. Field representatives noted that the actual number of graffiti removals in Koreatown far exceeds reported cases.
Rudy Fortiz, KYCC’s graffiti removal coordinator, stated, “Last year alone, KYCC carried out a total of 22,279 graffiti removals in Koreatown.” He added, “In July and August alone, we removed over 7,400 cases of graffiti.”
Explaining why KYCC’s graffiti removal numbers surpass city records, Fortiz said, “KYCC’s cleanup teams not only remove reported graffiti but also proactively erase visible graffiti throughout Koreatown.” He emphasized that while graffiti complaints have declined, the rate of decrease is slower compared to other areas, and many places in Koreatown remain defaced.
According to KYCC, graffiti in Koreatown is most commonly found on building exteriors, sidewalks, and shutter doors.
“Most graffiti offenders use spray paint,” Fortiz explained. “We remove graffiti using cleaning paint, high-pressure washers, and other methods, and in most cases, it is successfully erased.”
Meanwhile, the area with the highest number of graffiti removals last year was Boyle Heights, east of downtown LA, with 29,432 cases reported. It was followed by Downtown (23,765 cases), Westlake (16,465 cases), Sylmar (13,354 cases), and East Hollywood (13,005 cases).
Residents who wish to report graffiti for removal can visit the MyLA311 website (MyLA311.lacity.org) or download the app to submit a request.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
