Friday, November 30, 2007

How Easy is it to Steal Spray Paint?

Section 594.1 of the California Penal Code makes it illegal to sell or furnish aerosol paint containers to anyone under the age of 18; and, requires proof of identity and age through drivers license or other government issued identification prior to sale.

Violation of these Sections is a crime which can result in prosecution and which is punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of $1,000.00.

So I'm guessing that when Kragen Auto Parts on Grand Ave and Seventeenth leaves their spray paint display case unlocked and wide open making it easy for people of all ages easy to steal, then that's okay.

This photo was sent to me last night courtesy of el diablo blanco, one of our awesome readers.

44 comments :

Anonymous said...

The retail establishment can be fined for leaving the gates to spray paint open or unattended. The City of Santa Ana has numerous municipal codes that are treated as misdemeanors or infractions.

See SAMC 10-178 for spray cans

See SAMC 10-183 thru 187 for curfew (Up to $250.00 fine) Police Officers or Code enforcment can issue citations for these crimes.

Check out the City web site for "Municipal Codes". There's a gazillion of them.

Batwoman

The Frito Bandito said...

I used to wake up at night thinking I could hear that rattling sound of the taggers arming their spray cans for attack. I REALLY hate taggers.

Anonymous said...

Frito bandito,

Don't feel alone. When I was living in LA I used to do the same thing. I could hear them in the alley, and the sound of spray paint is very distinct.

Unfortunately society still does not see the serious impact it has on a neigborhood, and the penalties are weak.

Read the OC Register article about Juan Pablo Garcia-parolee who was recently arrested for shooting an innocent 17 yr old. This was after a state parole agent pleaded for leniency and a jury gave him a break. It will make your blood boil.

Bottom line, we are a society of wimps!

Anonymous said...

So who do i call when i see things like this? City of Santa Ana code enforcement?

Anonymous said...

EDB - You should probably write to Kragen corporate HQ. I'm sure they would like to know that their own employees are facilitating shoplifting and the loss of revenue.

Anonymous said...

If you see cages for spray paint open in stores, you can call the graffiti hotline and let them know the name and address of the store. Officers do go out and contact businesses and check on the cages.

I've also said something to the store managers when I've seen this violation.

Anonymous said...

I work in a paint store in Virginia, and there are absolutely no doors, locks, or anything. All the spray paint is out in the open. people open the cans right there and spray on the walls and floor! Never-mind the cap on the can is the same color and sheen and it also says on the UPC label what color it is. I wish they would pass a law like that in VA...What's wrong with people!?

Anonymous said...

alot of people dont like tagger but i do . alot of poeple say its a crime and it is but do anyone now how the taggers feel they have parents whos not doing so good or they are but they dont really be around each other. so they go and spray its not like they are selling drugs or writing gangs thigs on walls they are only writing they name and makeing the community look a little better and if every who dont like graffiti then i dont know what to tell you because their is always going to be graffiti and spray paint so you cannont say anything out of your mouth.

Anonymous said...

Ok, I'm gonna say it. Morals, values, education, knowledge, respect for others, and intelligence, are character traits missing in those that "don't mind graffiti" or see no problem with doing it.

Anonymous said...

I don't think the Dalai Lama would "mind graffiti," and I think his character is ok.

Anonymous said...

Oh please...now you're reaching. I'm sure the Dalai Lama would have a problem with destroying or damaging someone's property. What you don't "get" is graffiti is often about disrespect. It's an "f-u" type crime. It's not like you're stealing food because you're hungry. It's like dogs peeing on a tree, marking territory.

Anonymous said...

I think that's right. And I think the Dalai Lama is able to handle that. You could say "f/u" to the Dalai Lama, and he would just wonder what's up with you and maybe feel sorry that you are so conflicted and wonder if there's a way he might help you with your obvious suffering.

I don't think the Dalai Lama would favor graffiti, largely because it gets other people so worked up.

Anonymous said...

Do you think it gets people worked up because it's rude, nasty, and inconsiderate? Plus it costs people money to repair?

Anonymous said...

Furthermore, there are no Dalai Lamas living in Santa Ana.

Anonymous said...

Aint that the truth.

Anonymous said...

you guys will never understand graffiti writers...

Ben Dayhoe said...

you guys will never understand graffiti writers...

Sorry Anonymous, but that's not an excuse nor justification.

Taggers will never understand "respect", even though that's exactly what they trying to get with their mark. Respect is given, not demanded nor earned at someone else's expense.

Nor will they understand "pride" of ownership, as they will write on anything--much like a male dog pissing on every light post to foolishly mark his territory.

It doesn't matter that you assume I don't understand the ignorance. What does matter is what happens to someone when I catch them writing on my house.

Tag on your own property, or get commissioned by someone to do a mural, but show some respect for the tax paying citizens and you'll earn my respect.

Anonymous said...

"Pride" is a sin.

Dogs are not foolish.

Life is suffering.

Paint is a dumb reason for violence.

Anonymous said...

your all against the toy graffiti writers.
most writers have respect for peoples property and if you don't look at good graff as art then your a fucking piece of shit. its like you spending time painting a picture with a brush only to have some dood come up and paint over it in black. getting up is something we love. you never understand graffiti until you physically do it yourself.

Anonymous said...

English, please.

DubbleX said...

STEAL SPRAY CANS FROM THE MAN
PUTS FAME IN MY HAND
DUBBLEX
DUBBLEX
DUBBLEX

Anonymous said...

you guys will never understand, the ppl that disrepect others propertys are not tagers nor graffers, there either toys or gang related, graffiti writers respect on another, graffiti was in the olden days, like cave men, they graffed on walls, stop trying to prevent it and keep it going, YOU WILL NEVER STOP US! -blinky -WSW-STC- PS:i think its stupid to lock paint up, that will make graffiti writers turn into criminals and break into the places at night and steal it then, it owuld be safer to jsut sell with out id, less crime.

Anonymous said...

Ps:Ps: and if you see a graffiti artist, let him be, your just waisting the police mens time. they can be catching killers instead, but instead you have them catching taggers for them adding color to you street.

Santa Ana Slim said...

Maybe you should have spent a little more time in English class and a little less time "graffing". It's hard to take anyone seriously when they butcher the English language like you have.

This wouldn't happen to be your work, would it?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/192366603_e7bdfdb27f.jpg?v=0

Anonymous said...

you know its ignorant mother fuckers like you that make writers want to destroy shit. ive got as much respect for peoples personal property as the next but you haft to understand abandon places, signs, electrical box, boxcars, and places like that are fair game. you dont own it so stop acting like you do. graffiti is all about being reconised you know weither you like it or not when you see my tag or throw up, or piece you haft to reconise that i was there weither you like it or not. graffiti will never go away. you can lock up paint. writers will still find a way to paint. all of you that are knocking graff have never done it. to you know dont knock it till you try it. as a matter of fact dont try it. just stay out of our way. cause we dont need any more hippie tree hugging mother fuckers tailing us around tattle tailing on us. bottom line your not gonna stop it. i write fucking graffiti and you haft to deal with it

Anonymous said...

once again you dumb people just do not understand the meaning of graffiti we are not killing the community or enviorment with putting some god damb art in the neighborhood im a graffiti writer and i enjoy what i do im not out on the corner selling drugs and doing drugs or selling my body i work hard on all of my mother f@!@# art and you dumb ass people are talking about the dali lama well i think he would at least respect our way of art so let that tell you something.....we work hard on everything we do BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ben Dayhoe said...

Tell you what Anonymous Picasso.
Email me some of your art, I'll post it, and we'll let the readers decide if what you are doing should be considered art.

I'll keep your identity a secret and hey, if you're as good as you say, you might be able to sell some of your art.

There are plenty of people out there willing to pay for quality graffiti art–don't give your talent away!

What can I say? I guess I'm finally in the Christmas spirit.

Ho ho ho.

Anonymous said...

Ban dayhoe and Anonymous Picasso: I also would love to see some good quality graffiti ART. I love the style, i actually have a wall IN my home w spectacular graffiti art from a local ARTIST<---keyword. i agree if your good, make some money boy! :)

Anonymous said...

I think you people from both sides need to get the fucking sticks out of your asses. Yeah there are a lot of mother fuckers who write stupid shit on people's personal property and shit like that but that isn't the majority. A few stupid fucks shouldn't be used to stereotype all graffiti writers. At the same time there are a lot of taggers who like to pretend they're much more righteous than they actually are.

It's a form of expression and you people talking about reporting establishments for having uncaged paint cans are assholes. Graffiti is not the awful crime you're making it out to be.

Also bad grammar doesn't have anything to do with the validity of one's statement, especially when you're talking about that internet.

Ben Dayhoe said...

Don't get me wrong. When I see someone put up a graff piece that's art-worthy, I give respect.

Let me ask you something–do you live in Santa Ana? If not, then you probably haven't seen the crap-tagging that's plaguing this city like an STD in a Tijuana strip club; thanks in part to businesses not locking their spray cases as the law mandates.

I mean, what's the point of making a law if there is no one bothering to enforce it (ex: locking spray cases, no txting while driving, cell phones while driving)...catch my drift?

True, I may have a stick up my ass, but let me tell you something; once you buy a home and own a piece of this great land, your perception will change. Mine did.

In a rebuttal to your statement of Graffiti is not the awful crime you're making it out to be

Click here

or here

or here

and here.

I didn't even have to hunt for those articles.

Oh yeah, Anonymous Picasso, I'm still waiting for those photos.

Anonymous said...

My god just let us be.....we write dont kill people.Now writers are getting longer sentences then murderers.
I do not belive in the justice system anymore.
FUCK ALL THE HATERS NEVER STOP WRITING.
-that random guy from toronto.

Anonymous said...

You're right I don't live there and I don't own property but I really doubt any of my views would change if I did.

Pretty much all of those articles have to do with gang related tagging which i consider just as bad as kids running around writing ugly shit on houses and once again you can't label an entire group of people because of a bunch of dumb fucks.

There are too many people who consider graffiti a legit and meaningful form of expression for people to just label it. Thousands of people get killed over religious disputes because of crazy stupid people every year but we don't go around banning religion because for most it's a legit way of looking at things.

Anonymous said...

I kinda think that tagging on private property is fucked up but government property is ok... Create jobs, add color to the ugly green, and say fuck you to a government thats broken already.

Anonymous said...

art is not a crime! cry me a river. just for that im gonna tagg up all your guys fences

Anonymous said...

Okay well what really pisses me off more then graffiti is those "john smith for mayor" sighs that i see every time there is a election comming up. Those people are getting more and more ruthless. They are starting to have the same mind set as graffiti writers. With how much and how high up can we put this garbage. Its pathetic that you think its okay for political sighs to be put up and for graffiti writers to be put behined bars!!!. These kids arent hurting anyone maybe causing damage but fuck it!. id rather have a kid scrawl on my house then a drug dealer to accidently shoot at it for mistaking it for the neighboors drug den. and what ever happended to public space?. And if your comparing a dog pissing to a tagger writing. Then all of you should just get rid of your male dogs. and second of all when i was writing graffiti i did learn respect i never wrote on a regular civilians car, never wrote on trees, public schools, the ground, and etching windows eww shit looks trashy..so yes in this underground sub culture there are rules and respect...and who ever doesnt follow them is a fucking piece of shit making the rest of the real artist look bad..and maybe your community should give these kids a place to go to paint instead of saying there mindless punks. cause i promise you that if a graffiti writer had a place to go there would be some nice bautiful positive peices produced then garbage scawrl you all hate

Anonymous said...

gosh you people dont know what real graffiti is and what toy shit is toys and gang members are the ones destroying your properties ive been writing for awile and ive never painted on anyone privit property its the stupid fucking toys and gangs that do that stuff but dont freaking judge us all of what you see the toys and shit doing !!

Ben Dayhoe said...

"What do you mean, you people?"

Anonymous said...

FUCK ALL OF YOU.
Graffiti is a form of art.
it may be illegal, but its art.
why do all of you ignorant pieces of shit get into other peoples business.
mind your own.
We are the modern day Picasso and Da Vinci.
One day we will be in charge.

Ben Dayhoe said...

When you write on my property, I make it my business son.

Anonymous said...

If you are going to create great art, why not put it somewhere where it can be appreciated and preserved? Michalangelo painted the Sistine Chapel with the permisssion of it's owners. It is admired and preserved 500 years later.

I doubt that any real artist would have spent time and creative energy to put their art in a place that wasn't deserving of it. Especially without the owners permission.

Perhaps that is the difference between art and graffiti?

Anonymous said...

fuck all you faggots
i paint anything and everything and have no remorse doing so.and no its not an "art" and its not beautifying shit.its all about getting your name up you pack of pussies.lifes too short to be worried about things getting written on.oh yeah,and i steal all of my paint.10 cans at a time :]

Anonymous said...

At walmart its just sitting on racks, not in a case!about five hundred of each color.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha. i swear people are so lost here. theres an obvious mix up between real writers who write on the governments property, and gangs and toys (basically the posers of graffiti to those of you who dont understand) who write on just about whatever they want because they think its "cool".. well honestly i will never write on private property.. only on public property. when i do write too i always focus on making it look as good as i can.. however if i dont have the time ill just do a quick throwie (basically just bubble letters). the thiing is though too, if people stop freaking out about the real artists painting beautiful murals legal or not then guaranteed the ugly ass tags will diminish. you know why? respect. thats key. they may not have respect for public walls left blank but they will have respect for them if they have a great piece especially by a respected artist. they wont go over that unless they paint something better or obtain the artists permission. its all basic graff code.

Anonymous said...

You all are talkin bout shitty tags. Tell you what thats what they start with. its easy quick gets the ball rollin. next your gunna see bombs (basic outlines and fill) then eventually the ballzy people will get tired of that and then you will see art. Its like banning baseball cause all the pros are in the peewee leauge still. Shit make spray paint legal to buy and then kids wont have to steal their paint! throw up some legal walls and let them actually learn faster and legally.