Kerr County leaders approve costly graffiti clean-up, seek Crime Stoppers tips

Kerr County commissioners learned this week that spray-painted graffiti that popped up recently on the Flat Rock Dam will cost an estimated $1,700 to “wipe the slate clean.”

Kerr County Road and Bridge Department Administrator Kelly Hoffer provided the report to commissioners’ court during its regular, open session on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

She told county officials that the multi-colored graffiti on the dam depicting images and making statements was reported in September and that her department has been asked to clean it up.

“In the past, we’ve pressure-washed graffiti off pavement or painted over it on cement areas, but that, at times, can just lead to a fresh canvas,” Hoffer said.

“These acts are not only criminal, but to correct them is time-consuming for county employees and expensive for our county taxpayers – not to mention how much of an eyesore they are to the general public until they can be addressed,” Hoffer said. “We’ve had reports from the public that these latest spray-painted expressions are disturbing and scary.”

“This is a lot of graffiti on the dam. It will be very time-consuming and expensive for us to get rid of it,” she added.

Knowing they couldn’t very well leave county-maintained infrastructure like that, commissioners directed her to proceed with the clean-up process.

Reward offered

Kerr County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward to anyone who can provide identity information that leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the crime.

To report information related to these crimes, while remaining anonymous, citizens can do so in one of three ways. Call Kerr County Crime Stoppers at 830-896-8477, use the Kerr County Crime Stoppers P3 Tip app for smart devices, or visit www.kerrtips.com.  

Parents warned

If it turns out that the person(s) responsible for the graffiti are juveniles, “bring them to me,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who presides over the county’s juvenile court. “I dare them to come in front of my court,” Kelly added.

Additionally, the judge warned that parents/guardians can be held liable for the criminal acts of their children.