Mayor Gonzales Proposes New
San José Anti-Litter Campaign

“Pick Up San José” will be modeled on anti-graffiti success  

San José, CA ----  Standing with volunteers, city workers, and representatives of local and state government agencies today, San José Mayor Ron Gonzales proposed a community-wide cooperative anti-litter campaign with the goal to make San José the cleanest big city in America. 

“We will work with our community partners and volunteers to make sure that San José streets and neighborhoods are free of litter as well as graffiti,” said Gonzales. “I know we can achieve the kind of remarkable success as our anti-graffiti campaign has done.”

Over the past three years, San José has achieved a 92 percent reduction in graffiti as a result of aggressive and fast cleanup, law enforcement, interagency cooperation, and strong neighborhood volunteer commitment.

“We already have more than 2400 neighborhood volunteers who have helped us wipe out graffiti.  They are ready to take on the next challenge to make sure that San José is also free of litter,” said the mayor.  “I’m delighted that other local and state agencies are already on our team to work with San José residents to help achieve our goal.”

Caltrans, Valley Transportation Authority, and Santa Clara County have been partners in the city’s successful anti-graffiti efforts in San José, and they have pledged to continue their cooperation to help fight litter.

“Improving the appearance of streets and neighborhoods is a matter of community pride,” said Don Gage, chair of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.  “By working closely with our residents, the County and the City, along with our other partners, will make sure that litter and trash don’t detract from quality of life in any neighborhood.”

Gonzales called on local residents to join Pick Up San José, the city’s anti-litter campaign, by becoming volunteers in their neighborhoods or reporting specific litter problems to the city’s 24/7 Call Center at (408) 277-4000 or the San Jose
Mayor's Office at (408) 277-4237..

By Earth Day on April 21, Pick Up San José volunteers, corporate sponsors, and government partners will launch a community-wide clean-up of San José streets, vacant lots, creeks, and parks.  In addition, other city departments and neighborhood programs, including parks, transportation, environmental services, and code enforcement will be involved in a coordinated campaign.

The city will review local ordinances and state laws to identify possible changes that can strengthen anti-litter efforts.  These could include more effective enforcement, public education, and penalties for dumping and littering.

The city’s annual survey of graffiti this month found a total of 5612 tags throughout the community, compared to 10,498 tags one year ago.  In January 2000, the annual survey found 35,744 tags, and in 1999 the community total was 71,541 tags.