PATCH WATCH: Los Gatos Graffiti Busters

They're known as the Volunteers In Policing, but others call them the "graffiti busters," retired and young town residents who are now an integral part of the 's mission to keep the community safe and clean.

On Dec. 21, just three days before Christmas, Los Gatos resident Sandy Vaurs and "vipping" partner Eleanore Schock met just after noon in the Forbes Mill parking area to clean up graffiti along the

On this day, Vaurs takes pictures—as she has done in the past—of all illegal unintelligible writings and paintings on public property.

Vaurs, who has been a VIP for about 10 years, goes out weekly for four hours to participate in the ritual. She and Schock wear uniforms provided to them by the LGMSPD.

"There's still more graffiti to clean up. We weren't able to get it all," laments Vaurs after the three-hour service project.

The duo has also cleaned graffiti on the children's art work found on the Forbes Mill footbridge.

Prior to the Dec. 21 graffiti cleanup, Vaurs wiped clean more than 40 graffiti spots on the Los Gatos Creek Trail between Old Town and Blossom Hill Road.

"For some reason, graffiti violations wax and wane and there has been an upsurge of them recently," regrets Vaurs. "It kind of encourages more if you leave it alone."

Who are the graffiti perpetrators? "Sometimes when kids get out of school in the summertime, you'll find it ... these things aren't (done by) school kids. The things that I've seen have been done by taggers. They've arrested a whole bunch of them."

The VIPs do not clean up graffiti on VTA bus shelters, railroad crossings, nor freeway walls, Vaurs notes.

When the defacement is too large, staff from the Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Department are contacted for help.

To report graffiti on Los Gatos public property, please contact the Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Department, 408-399-5770, or email department director Todd Capurso at tcapurso@losgatosca.gov.

You may also report graffiti to the 's graffiti hotline number, 408-354-6863.

For graffiti on VTA bus shelters in town, or other bus-stop related issues, call VTA customer service at 408-321-2300.

The VIP program was developed by the LGMSPD in December 1994. It is comprised of approximately 50 members who are familiar with Los Gatos and Monte Sereno.

Volunteers such as Vaurs are used to enhance crime-prevention awareness and community services.

They also help town police officials with emergency management preparation, vacation house checks, fingerprinting, traffic control, clerical work, computer data entry, front-counter support at the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Operations Building, special crime-prevention events such as school fairs and parking enforcement for spots specifically reserved for persons with disabilities.

In January, Vaurs says the department will be having a class to train more volunteers for the program. To sign up for the class, please call LGMSPD community service officer Gwen Cross at 408-354-6842.