Los Angeles sees slight decline in annual graffiti calls

A year ago, Los Angeles was having a graffiti moment. Taggers had discovered that a stalled Downtown high-rise project had little security. Within weeks the trio of towers had been covered in colorful markings. International attention ensued, as did an array of questions: How do you secure the property known as Oceanwide Plaza? Who would pay for it? Was this art or vandalism? Today the site is fenced off, but the tags remain. And perspective reveals something else surprising: Despite all the attention, the 317,372 graffiti reports tallied in the city in 2024 was slightly below the previous year’s total. It also marked the lowest count since 2018, according to publicly available MyLA311 service request data. The range in reports over the past seven years is relatively narrow. There also are regular ups and downs, including a spike last July. But the data demonstrates that, year in and year out, graffiti calls in Los Angeles are relatively stable. The official tally includes complaints that Angelenos place with the MyLA311 system; these can come via phone, website or app.  [Get crime, housing and other stats about where you live with the Crosstown Neighborhood Newsletter] The total also incorporates graffiti that abatement...