Graffiti is a growing concern throughout the Denver metro area. Graffiti vandals believe their actions are harmless. In reality,
graffiti affects homeowners, businesses, communities and schools. Graffiti is an eyesore that can affect property values,
burden tax dollars, and make residents feel unsafe. According to the Rocky Mountain News, graffiti removal in 2006 cost Denver
taxpayers approximately $1 million dollars. 
In 2007, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office investigated 320 reported cases of graffiti vandalism. In the first three months
of 2008, 126 reports of graffiti have been reported. According to Crime Prevention Specialist Amir Stephen, “Failure to report
and remove graffiti sends the wrong message. The most effective response to graffiti is consistently reporting and getting
rid of it.”
The goal of the Arapahoe Sheriff’s Office is to remove graffiti within one week of being reported. Citizens are encouraged
to report graffiti on public property by contacting the Sheriff’s Office at 303-795-4711. Individuals providing information
that result in the arrest and conviction of those responsible for graffiti vandalism in the City of Centennial and Arapahoe
County may be eligible for monetary awards.
Sheriff’s Office participates in Click It or Ticket Campaign
During the week of March 3 -9, the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Team and Patrol Division sent a strong message to motorists
during the Click It or Ticket enforcement by handing out 357 seat belt tickets. The goal of the special one-week mobilization was to save lives by encouraging
more people to follow the law and buckle up. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, and 41 additional
law enforcement agencies participated in the Click It or Ticket campaign. During this time period, five people were killed in traffic crashes in Colorado, and three of them were not buckled
up.
The special enforcement was aimed at encouraging all motorists to wear seat belts, especially teenagers, who buckle up much
less frequently than adults. Of the 43 teenagers, age 16 to 20, killed in crashes in Colorado last year, 63 percent were not
wearing seat belts.
Of the 5,112 seat belt tickets issued throughout the state, 445 were for teens not buckled up. In addition, there were 38
tickets handed out to teens that violated curfew or passenger restrictions under Colorado’s Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL)
law.
Seat belt enforcement and education about the state’s teen driving laws have helped lower the number of teens killed in crashes.
The number of Colorado teen drivers and passengers, ages 16-20, killed in traffic crashes dropped 34 percent to 43 in 2007
from 66 in 2006, according to preliminary data from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
The Click It or Ticket mobilizations are paid for by a special demonstration grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). The next Click It or Ticket enforcement begins May 12 and will continue through June 2.
For more information on Colorado’s Graduated Drivers Licensing laws and the Click It or Ticket enforcement, visit www.coteendriver.com or www.nhtsa.gov/link/ciot.htm.
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