County passes graffiti ordinance

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005 | 9:55 a.m.

The Clark County Commission on Tuesday unanimously passed an ordinance making it illegal for minors to buy or possess spray paint or other implements used for graffiti.

The ordinance, approved 5-0, came on the heels of long-standing laws in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson making spray paint and other devices illegal in the hands of those under 18. A Senate bill passed by the Legislature earlier this year gave the County Commission authority to cite retailers who sell to minors.

Metro Police actively lobbied for the law, saying officers were often forced to enforce two separate laws depending on where a juvenile was found, whether within Las Vegas' city limits or in unincorporated Clark County.

Officials estimate that graffiti costs the county about $1 million a year to remove from public property, including bridges, walls and buildings. According to the county's public response department, about 13,000 homes were vandalized last year, up from the roughly 3,000 recorded four years earlier.

Commissioners Bruce Woodbury and Yvonne Atkinson Gates were absent for Tuesday's vote.