Former tagger turned graffiti artist Tyler Clark used to spray-paint the sides of buildings, fences and walls, or ‘tag’ in Covington, until he got caught.

Now Clark helps to clean up graffiti around town, working part-time for the city’s maintenance department while he goes to college.

When asked about his views on tagging he said he hadn’t realize what pain and trouble his graffiti had caused others.

“I didn’t realize what an impact it had on people,” Clark said.

Now he is more into graffiti art, utilizing the “legal wall” in Covington or in Seattle as a canvas for his artwork.

Lots of people tag because they see it as a way to be recognized and remembered, according to Clark. But he also said that tagging is “kind of immature, not really the best way to be remembered.”

To do its part, the city of Covington invites all residents to join in the Clean Covington Campaign in an effort to foster a strong sense of community and keep the city clean of graffiti.

The campaign’s focus is to empower its residents to remove graffiti as soon as it appears.

Karla Slate, Covington’s Community Relations Coordinator, said that according to city police, “removing graffiti as soon as it is noticed helps deter it from happening again.”

While police say that it may not stop it the first time, “taggers don’t get to enjoy their tags if they are removed immediately.”

Consistently removing graffiti seems to be an effective deterrent over time.

To remove graffiti, the city has put together graffiti removal kits which will be available to residents and businesses by filling out a simple form.

The kits are free and can be picked up starting July 20 at city hall, or at the city’s booth during the Covington Days Festival July 17-19.

The kits contain item such as a bucket, brushes, gloves, graffiti spray and other items to effectively remove graffiti from most surfaces. Items for the kits have been donated by local area businesses such as Alpine Markings, Home Depot and Sherman Williams in their effort to support the program. Walmart contributed a $1,500 grant in support of the program.

This year’s Clean Covington Day will again be in September. The exact date has yet to be determined. Kits, removal demonstrations by city maintenance workers, education about graffiti by police staff and a light breakfast will be provided as everyone will set out to scour the city for graffiti. Michelle Johnson, who participated in last year’s Clean Up Day, said she would “definitely encourage others to participate” in the day.

Johnson discovered that removing graffiti does make a difference because “ever since we cleaned the fences we had no more tagging.”

Johnson not only encourages others to participate, but to become involved and to be able to say “this is my neighborhood and I am proud of it.”

Slate said the campaign is designed for “outreach and education” and to “provide resources” to members of the community. She noted that the city has given out 40 kits since July 2009.

“The kits are intended to empower residents and businesses to participate in the initiative,” she said.

Tagging or a graffiti artist’s signature can occur for various reasons.

Covington police told Slate that, “sometimes the signs are gang-related markings in which the person(s) are marking their territory, or in some instances it can be done as an expression of art.”

Jeff Ferrell, author of “Crimes of Style: Urban graffiti and the politics of criminality,” explained “graffiti first came to prominence in the late 1960s in New York along subway cars as an outgrowth of political radicalism, and of Black and Hispanic empowerment and identity.” A tag was originally a “stylized logo” which identified the otherwise anonymous artist.

Currently tagging or graffiti art is considered “malicious mischief in the third degree and is a gross misdemeanor,” as defined by the Revised Code of Washington, RCW 9A.48.090

The Washington State Department of Transportation’s Web site reports that from March 2007 through February 2008 it cleaned graffiti from 273,997 square feet of area — about five football fields — at a cost of $133,367, up 23 percent the previous year with. Some 2,900 hours were spent in the clean-ups, with half the hours spent the prior year. Like Covington, WSDOT sees the best method of deterrence against graffiti is immediate removal.

For more information about the Clean Covington Campaign or Clean Covington Day visit the city of Covington’s Web site or contact Karla Slate at 253-638-1110 ext. 2234 or kslate@ci.covington.wa.us.