In the past I have, on several occasions, contacted the graffiti removal section of the Thousand Oaks Public Works Department, and have been very impressed with their response and immediate reaction. In all cases, the graffiti, which appeared to be gang related, was removed the following day of my phone call.

This past week, I spotted graffiti on several concrete lampposts, four utility boxes and a city trash container along Olsen Road between Campus Drive and Moorpark Road, plus a supporting column of the bridge over Olsen Road that connects the sports activity complex and pools of Cal Lutheran University to the main campus.

I called the graffiti hotline late in the morning, and by the afternoon all of it was removed.

My understanding from police officers is that quick removal of gang graffiti is an important element in controlling and, hopefully, eliminating gang activity.

I strongly urge my fellow Thousand Oaks citizens to report any type of graffiti immediately by calling the Graffiti Removal hotline at (805) 4492488.

They’ll ask for your name and phone number and the location of the graffiti. It only takes about five minutes of your time. And by the next day, it will be gone.

You’ll be helping to keep our city and other properties from being defaced by this aberrant and abhorrent activity.

Again, kudos to the Graffiti Removal staff and crew of the Thousand Oaks Public Works department for a job well done. Bob Meisterling Thousand Oaks