City to Issue Cameras to Fight Illegal Signs

LOS ANGELES — City officials and neighborhood activists launched a new crackdown on illegal signs Thursday. Their secret weapon: Polaroid cameras. The hope is to catch the signs on film and trace them to their owners.

To bolster the effort, a new state law can slap offenders with a $1,000 fine per sign.

Residents complain that the unauthorized signs--advertising everything from telephone services to the release of a new CD--are a visual blight. They are stapled, nailed or pasted onto utility poles and light posts. Some have even been posted over speed limit signs, covering the numbers.

Residents, said City Councilman Nate Holden, “will become our eyes, ears and legs.”

Using the photographs, the city attorney’s office will try to find the responsible party and issue an order to take down the signs or face fines, said City Atty. James Hahn. Cameras will be distributed to volunteers in communities throughout Los Angeles.

There have been long-standing laws against unauthorized signs posted on city property, including trees, utility poles, hydrants and lampposts. The state law implemented in January boosted the fine for illegal posting from $100 to $1,000.

Criminal charges can also be filed, with penalties for repeat offenders that include jail.