Mesa uses app for residents to report graffiti after the issue's uptick

MESA, Ariz. - Mesa is dealing with an uptick in graffiti.

First, in the west part of the city, and now on the east side too.

The city offers an app to residents where they can report graffiti sightings and crews will come out to remove it.

"We go out and abate the graffiti, and then we put our notes in that it's been completed, or if it needs to be turned to compliance, depending on what it is," Bill McLeod, transportation field ops supervisor for the city of Mesa, said.

It's called the Mesa CityLink app.

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Officials say the graffiti they paint over is in areas where the graffiti artist didn't have permission to paint.

"Everybody has a different opinion as to what's art and what's graffiti. We abate things that are put in public spaces that were not given permission to be put there," McLeod said.

Crews will get inquiries about hot spots through a link, print out the service requests, and head out to work.

"We average maybe 10 a day. Mondays tend to be the busiest because we are picking up everything that comes over the weekend and then usually you're looking at probably 60 or 70 a week or 250 a month on average," he explained.

Together, crew members will work to make sure everything matches up.

"Here is our work station to mix the paint, an electric paint gun for when we can't reach it," McLeod said.

Residents can download the Mesa CityLink app to their phones for free through their phone's app store.