The juvenile Graffiti Clean-Up program (G-CUP) supervises up to ten youth per day on Saturday and Sunday, typically working an eight hour day. Additional days may be added throughout summer break, as well. An average of 125 youth participate a year. Eligible juveniles are 10-17 years old who are ticketed and sentenced in Lakewood Municipal Court to perform a graffiti cleanup work program (sentence can be for any charge, not just graffiti-related). Hours completed range from eight to 120 hours depending on the juvenile’s criminal record and underlying offense.
The G-CUP program was developed in coordination with the Lakewood City Ordinance - Defacing Property (9.60.050) B. which states: Any person convicted of defacing property shall be ordered by the court to perform community service which shall include making repairs to any property damaged or properties similarly damaged.
Graffiti is removed from public property within Lakewood city limits, which mostly consists of utility boxes, light poles, dumpsters, newsstands, bus stops, drainage ditches, etc. Removals which need to be pressure-washed or that present a more hazardous situation are removed by the Probation Department Community Service Officer as they occur to avoid possible injury to a supervised juvenile.