GANGS - Local businesses see problem with gang graffiti

While local businesses haven't seen major problems from gangs, tagging is a widespread concern, and the potential for worse remains.

WALLA WALLA -- Unlike the slow economy, which has weighed in heavy on many businesses, gangs have not had as much of an influence on the local business turf.

"It is doubtful that the gang activity that we have had here is going to drive anybody to leave or drive anybody out of business," said City Manager Nabiel Shawa.

In fact, a number of business owners and managers along Ninth Avenue and Main Street agreed that it's business as usual. But it hasn't always been that way.

Mike Hammond, owner and operator of Melody Muffler on Ninth Avenue, said there was a time about seven to 10 years ago when graffiti was out of control, and he found himself having to take a more proactive approach to keeping the gangs from marking his territory.

"We just kind of took it upon ourselves to get to know the kids. So I just made a point to get out on the street and meet them and greet them and chat with them," Hammond said.

To help reach out to neighborhood youths, Hammond helped fix the bikes of local children, and at the same time made it clear his business was his territory and he wouldn't put up with graffiti.

"I just kind of talked their language," Hammond said, noting that on occasion he got tough with some taggers.

Nearly a decade later, Hammond's business still gets tagged about once or twice a year. The last time was several months ago.

"I actually think there has been a great downtrend over the years, but it is obviously still there. There is some in the back ways and alleys," he said.

At Super One Foods, Manager Fabian McFeron said gang activity is very rare at the grocery store. And the only graffiti he encounters today he thinks is most likely not gang related.

"The most we ever had is people writing on the walls (in the bathroom), but we don't know if it is gangs," McFeron said.

Nevertheless, a drive down the back alleys and side lots of the business along Ninth Avenue reveals there are still occasional cases of graffiti, evidenced by the newer paint splotches where owners have quickly painted over the taggings.

Along Main Street, a few merchants reported they occasionally have problems with vandalism or rowdy behavior, and most business owners attribute this activity unsupervised youths, not necessarily gang member.

"I get more complaints about kids riding their bikes and boarding downtown than I get anything on (gangs)," Downtown Walla Walla Foundation Executive Director Elio Agostini said. And he noted that Heritage Park and the corner of First Avenue and Main Street seem to be the areas where youths tend to congregate and cause problems, especially when school gets out.

"It tends to get worse in the summer. No question. And so our eyes and ears are open," Agostini said, noting more security might be added to Heritage Park to help combat some of the problems there.

Hal White of Pete's Ski & Sport Shop, next to Heritage Park, said his business hasn't been tagged with graffiti this year, but several months back the building was tagged in the back alley.

"We have had some taggings, I haven't seen it this year, but last year I saw some taggings," White said, describing the graffiti as more of a symbol written with a marking pen.

A block over from Pete's, Legacy of Walla Walla Service Manager Dave Carter said taggings on at their Ford dealership are rare, but they still happen. And just this week a new gang tag was discovered.

"It is one of those deals were you would like to catch them yourself, but it is not going to happen. They are running around like packs at night," Carter said.

Like most businesses, Carter will paint over the graffiti right away, trying to give the taggers as little gratification as possible.

"For us, it is not as bad, we just paint over it, it doesn't matter how it looks. But you are trying to run your business here and it just isn't kosher," he added.

So while the till is unaffected, the walls of local businesses are still bearing witness to gang graffiti, especially on the north side of town, where corrugated steel buildings and railroad boxcars seem to be the favorite tagging spots for gang symbols.

Graffiti, however, can and often is painted over. But having a reputation for gang violence is not something a little paint will fix. And a bad reputation could seriously hurt a tourism based economy.

"If the gang problem spins out of control and these people who plan to come to Walla Walla start hearing in the news about the gang problem and the shooting and other activity, that is going to give tourists a reason to consider not spending their tourism dollars here," Shawa said.

Some experts estimates 25 percent of the local economy is derived from tourism dollars. And Shawa said too many high-profile gang violence would not only cut tourism, but also new business development.

According to Shawa, tourism and new business development are linked, especially when related to out-of-area businesses looking for a new location.

"Tourism is also a really effective form of economic development. And when people come to a place they fall in love with a place and they decide they want to move there ... CEOs and chairmans of the boards often have moved to the areas where they have traveled to," Shawa said.

Increased gang activity could also make it harder to recruit business professionals, but hasn't so far, said Providence St. Mary Medical Center Dr. Tim Davidson, who is the head of physician recruiting for the facility.

The biggest hurdle Davidson has to face isn't gangs, but the remoteness of Walla Walla. Still, Davidson said the physicians he recruits often come with families, and they are very interested in crime rates.

"I definitely think that has an impact in physician recruiting. In Yakima I have heard that it has. Right now I would say about 20 to 30 percent of people ask me about that (crime), and it tends to be not that much of an issue. But physicians who are looking for jobs are pretty tech savvy now, and they go on the Internet and check," Davidson said.

So local businesses say other than having to deal with some occasional graffiti, they haven't seem much of an effect. But the threat is real, and a tourism based economy could suffer greatly from too many high-profile gang cases.

"It has given some ... pause for their safety in Walla Walla. And they are wondering if the gang situation is out of control," Shawa said.

"Like many cities in the United States, Walla Walla knows where it is going and that it has a great future. And if there is one thing I can say about Walla Walla, it has a great quality of life," he added.

Alfred Diaz can be reached at alfreddiaz@wwub.com or 526-8325.

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