On Dec. 15, the Manitou Springs Police Department (MSPD) was alerted to extensive vandalism on Ruxton Avenue.
“Over the weekend we had this amazing amount of graffiti that was up around Spring Street and Ruxton,” said Manitou Springs City Councilor John Shada during the Dec. 17 City Council meeting. “I went up today at noon time and the city must have had some amazing magic wand to remove all this stuff … it was very depressing to go up and see um how much they had done.”
According to City Administrator Denise Howell, the graffiti was cleaned up by Manitou Springs Neighborhood Services using a pressure washer.
“MSPD is continuing to investigate a series of graffiti vandalism incidents across the city,” read a Dec. 18 press release from the city. “The vandals remain at large, having caused over $20,000 in damages to public and private property. Their actions have also raised serious safety concerns as they are defacing traffic signs that can impede visibility and put drivers and pedestrians at risk.”
MSPD is urging residents to assist in the effort to identify those responsible. Residents are encouraged to check personal security cameras, including doorbell cameras, for any footage that may capture the vandals or their activities. Any viable information, no matter how small, could be critical to the investigation. If residents find graffiti, MSPD is asking that they take pictures of the damage and provide them to the police.
During the Dec. 17 City Council meeting, Councilor Julie Wolfe suggested MSPD should additionally coordinate with the Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office when investigating graffiti incidents.
“I would really like us to have an SOP[standard operating procedure], I guess you’d call it, that anytime there’s graffiti noticed in town, that before it gets washed or scrubbed off, that the City take pictures and send it to the Colorado Springs Police Department gang unit, which coordinates also with the Sheriff’s Department,” she said. “They keep track of these things because they’ll know, ‘Oh that’s the taggers,’ you know, ‘That’s the gang from Venezuela that’s that’s been in town,’ or ‘That’s, you know, whoever it is.’ I just think it’s important for us to share that information with the other partnership, nearby entities that are also trying to eradicate the problem.”
MSPD also asks that all future graffiti vandalism reports be made directly to MSPD Dispatch at 719-390-5555. MSPD asks that they do not report graffiti incidents through SeeClickFix, as direct reporting will help expedite the investigation.
“We are seeking the community’s help to put a stop to these costly acts of vandalism,” read the news release. “Together, we can hold the perpetrators accountable and protect our city. The MSPD is calling on all residents to work together to address this issue. Your cooperation and vigilance are vital in maintaining the safety and integrity of our community.”
