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San Jose fights graffiti surge

San Jose has seen a sharp spike in graffiti, up 38 percent from a year ago to the highest number of documented tags since 1999.The surge comes at a time when budget cuts have forced the city to outsource its cleanup work.

City officials say annual surveys done each January since 1999 noted 44,405 graffiti tags city wide this year, up from 29,285 in January 2010. That was the highest figure since the city first started tracking graffiti tags in 1999 and counted 71,541. 

The City Council will consider the issue Tuesday."The volume of graffiti is higher," said Mike Will, a San Jose parks manager who oversees graffiti abatement, adding that reasons for the spike are a mystery. 

There hasn't been a greater number of any particular type of graffiti, he said."It's generally everything," Will said. "Maybe it's something to do with the economy, people's frustrations. We're still talking to experts and police to see what's going on."

SHOEZ1

Based out of San Jose, California, CLOUT is the leading graffiti lifestyle magazine.

Each issue is packed with full color photos and in-depth interviews with original and innovative artists and brands as well as features on must have consumer products and fashion. With the first issue printing in 2002, CLOUT continues to bring a unique and exclusive look at street influenced culture in print format.