Graffiti mars downtown properties, but not thought to be gang-related

If you’ve noticed some graffiti around Sallisaw — especially along Cherokee Avenue (U.S. 64) on dumpsters, trash cans, poles, electrical boxes and even Your TIMES newspaper box — city police don’t believe the scribblings marring public and private property are gang-related.

Sallisaw Police Chief Terry Franklin, in surveying several locations Monday where vandals recently tagged property with the symbols “RE20” or “REZO” or “ZERO” or “ETC,” dismissed the graffiti as “no gang stuff we’re familiar with … probably just some kids.” Instances of sporadic graffiti, which Franklin admits had not been reported as of Monday to police, seem to have appeared just since late last week. The markings are known to appear from the 100 block of Cherokee (at Elm Street) east to the 1300 block of Cherokee where Choctaw Avenue intersects Cherokee (near Motel 6).

While Franklin isn’t prepared to label the graffiti sinister or threatening, he says it is vandalism, and that if children are the ones tagging property, their parents could be held financially responsible for the mischief. The police chief also says that if adults are found to be responsible for the vandalism, punishment could be imprisonment and/or financial restitution.

“It’s sad that people want to do that,” Franklin said, noting that the graffiti will have to be cleaned up.

Those whose property has been vandalized are encouraged to report it to police for investigation.