Burien residents and businesses are being urged to take action against a rash of graffiti taggings this spring.

The best thing people can do, Burien police and city officials say, is to report the graffiti so that it can be removed or covered up immediately, or remove or paint over it themselves.

The city council, concerned about the image that graffiti conveys, has given support for a proactive anti-graffiti program where residents and business owners can obtain at no charge a cleaner to remove the markings or paint and applicators to paint over it.

The materials are available at Miller Paint, 636 S.W. 152nd St.

Under the city's anti-graffiti program, residents or business people who call to report graffiti on private property are issued a form to obtain the free graffiti-removal products at Miller Paint.

When the city learns of graffiti on private property, the code compliance officer will contact the property owner or leave a Graffiti Removal Notice that gives information about the availability of the free graffiti-removal products.

The property owner is given 10 business days to have the graffiti removed or covered.

Police, who see an increase in graffiti when the weather becomes warmer and young people are out more, say this spring has been particularly bad with new graffiti showing up almost every day.

Burien Police Sgt. Henry McLauchlan's encourages residents and businesses to take a picture of the graffiti, note the locations as well as the date and time it was first noticed, and report it to police.

The police will put that information on file to be used later possibly as evidence linking the perpetrator to other graffiti incidents.

Anyone convicted under the city's anti-graffiti law face a fine of up to $5,000 and up to a year in jail.

McLaughlin says it can be costly to remove or paint over graffiti, and damages that exceed $250 can be classified as a felony crime which carries a larger fines and longer jail term.

The city has hired a contractor, Ray Helms, to remove or cover graffiti on city-owned property as soon as it is reported.

"It makes a huge difference if you get right on it," Helms says. "No one sees it so it defeats their purpose. Graffiti artists want people to walk by and notice and when they don't they move on. If you don't get rid of it right away, it just goes on and on."

When graffiti is reported on public property, such as city buildings, parks facilities, and traffic signs, the city tries to have it removed or covered immediately.

Good quality graffiti remover or stain block primer is also available at several other stores in Burien. It is best to use a graffiti remover or a stain block primer before attempting to paint.

For information on the city's anti-graffiti program, contact the code compliance officer at 206-248-5507.