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City hit with odd-shaped graffiti: Red and green hearts painted on streets and brick walls
Bill Conrad / Staff Photo: More than 30 incidents of graffiti have been discovered on Hedgcoxe Road between Custer Road to Preston Road. This green heart spray painted on the entrance to the Estates at Fountain Creek had been partially removed as of Thursday afternoon.
By Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com
PLANO -- Red and green hearts have appeared across a portion of northern Plano, but they are not part of a belated Valentine's Day prank. Instead, they are the work of one or several graffiti artists who have left their mark on streets, walls, electrical polls and political signs.
There is no official number on the amount of hearts that have been drawn, but a Plano police spokesman said they appeared about a week ago and are located on a stretch of Hedgcoxe Road spanning from Custer Road to Preston Road.
"The initial phone call we got concerned seven red and green hearts spray painted on the street and light poles," said Officer David Tilley. "We have taken a report. ... The No. 1 thing people need to do [when they spot graffiti] is contact the police department."
Tilley said all graffiti is investigated to see if it is gang-related. He said graffiti is fairly common and can range from anything from gang names and symbols, to flowers and, in this case, hearts.
One of the areas with the highest concentration of hearts is a bridge just east of Preston, where about 15 hearts were drawn on the bridge's concrete walls. The total number of hearts on the several-mile stretch is likely more than 30, said one local homeowner who contacted the police department about the incident.
As of Thursday afternoon, the graffiti was in the process of being removed via a pressure washer, said Gerald Cosgrove, the city's public works director. Cosgrove said he didn't know how long the process would take since the number of hearts was so great.
When graffiti is on public property, the city is responsible for removing it. However, on private property, it is the homeowner's responsibility to have it removed. Tilley said if a house or a homeowner's fence is drawn on, they should contact the city's property standards department, which will send an affidavit to the homeowner to sign. Once the affidavit is returned, the city will remove the graffiti free of charge.
All graffiti should be reported to the police, as well as the city, Tilley said. To contact the police, call the department's non-emergency line at 972-424-5678. For the city, the public works department may be reached at 972-769-4140 and property standards may be reached at 972-941-7124.
There is no official number on the amount of hearts that have been drawn, but a Plano police spokesman said they appeared about a week ago and are located on a stretch of Hedgcoxe Road spanning from Custer Road to Preston Road.
"The initial phone call we got concerned seven red and green hearts spray painted on the street and light poles," said Officer David Tilley. "We have taken a report. ... The No. 1 thing people need to do [when they spot graffiti] is contact the police department."
Tilley said all graffiti is investigated to see if it is gang-related. He said graffiti is fairly common and can range from anything from gang names and symbols, to flowers and, in this case, hearts.
One of the areas with the highest concentration of hearts is a bridge just east of Preston, where about 15 hearts were drawn on the bridge's concrete walls. The total number of hearts on the several-mile stretch is likely more than 30, said one local homeowner who contacted the police department about the incident.
As of Thursday afternoon, the graffiti was in the process of being removed via a pressure washer, said Gerald Cosgrove, the city's public works director. Cosgrove said he didn't know how long the process would take since the number of hearts was so great.
When graffiti is on public property, the city is responsible for removing it. However, on private property, it is the homeowner's responsibility to have it removed. Tilley said if a house or a homeowner's fence is drawn on, they should contact the city's property standards department, which will send an affidavit to the homeowner to sign. Once the affidavit is returned, the city will remove the graffiti free of charge.
All graffiti should be reported to the police, as well as the city, Tilley said. To contact the police, call the department's non-emergency line at 972-424-5678. For the city, the public works department may be reached at 972-769-4140 and property standards may be reached at 972-941-7124.
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