Declaration of Purpose
San Diego Municipal Code § 54.0401
in effect§54.0401 Declaration of Purpose
(a) It is the purpose and intent of this Division to provide a procedure for removal of graffiti from surfaces on public or private property in order to reduce blight and deterioration within the City and to protect the public health and safety.
(b) The City finds and determines that graffiti is obnoxious and constitutes both a public nuisance and a crime, and that it must be abated to avoid the detrimental impact of such graffiti on the City and its residents and prevent the further spread of graffiti.
(c) The City further finds that graffiti is often related to activities of criminal street gangs, and its eradication and the aggressive prosecution of those who defile others’ property with graffiti is a useful component in the City of San Diego’s efforts to combat activity by criminal street gangs. In order to further the City’s efforts to combat criminal street gangs, it is the City’s desire that all offenders, whether adult or juvenile, who violate the City’s anti- graffiti laws be prosecuted aggressively, be compelled to pay victim restitution, and if granted probation to be compelled to clean up graffiti in the City of San Diego.
(Amended 10-16-2000 by O-18863 N.S.)
(Amended 6-12-2008 by O-19750 N.S; effective 7-12-2008.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter05/Ch05Art04Division04.pdf#page=1Fetched: 10/28/2026