Graffiti is a 9-1-1 Call

Painted out graffiti is reminiscent of a Mark Rothko painting | Photo by Lord Jim via Flickr

In light of the new graffiti law Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law this week, the Associated Press has looked into a concerning pattern about graffiti taggers and the public's safety. Over the past couple years, four people have died when approaching or witnessing taggers in action.

To see how insane some taggers can get, one former tagger told the news service this:

"If we see someone calling the police, then we target them," said Mario Garcia, 20, who describes himself as a former tagger trying to become a professional artist. "You are trying to stop me from what I live, what I believe in and what I breathe? We are not going to let no one get in the way."

Police said it's not worth the risk to approach. "Take a deep breath, back off and call law enforcement." Officers at community meetings at LAPD's Van Nuys Division constantly remind residents that if they witness graffiti, to call 9-1-1. To get graffiti cleaned up with in city of Los Angeles jurisdiction, call 3-1-1 or report it online.