SEATTLE - The six graffiti rangers cover the City of Seattle cleaning up neighborhood by neighborhood.
They returned to the Rainier Valley on a trail under Interstate 90 to find the spot they painted over two weeks ago, and again it was covered by spray-painted tags. It's like a tag of war.
Former Seattle police officer, Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess wants to fight crime by cleaning up the city. He points to studies in Boston and the Netherlands that show cleaner streets result in less crime.
Burgess has called for a review of how Seattle handles graffiti removal and prosecution of property owners.
"If you don't take care of something, it creates an environment where you'll tolerate other types of criminal behavior," said Burgess. "We want to look at both public and private property."
Last year, 99 percent of property owners cleaned up graffiti after being notified by the city. There were only two cases where property owners were fined.
"The problem is absentee property owners who don't comply," said Andy Ryan, Seattle Public Utilities.
The review of Seattle's graffiti and litter laws will come June 1.
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