La Laguna Increases Surveillance and Cleaning Efforts to Combat Historic Center Vandalism
La Laguna’s City Council has launched a specialized cleaning campaign and increased surveillance to combat persistent graffiti vandalism that threatens the city's historic heritage and strains municipal budgets.
Preserving the heritage of La Laguna remains a persistent challenge, forcing the local council to repeatedly set aside extra funds to repair the city’s landscape. According to the City Council, the Municipal Services department recently finished a cleanup campaign that removed nearly 200 unauthorized graffiti tags from across the area.
This effort went beyond standard street furniture; it required specialized cleaning techniques for walls and facades in the historic center to ensure the original materials were not damaged. Fran Hernández, the Councilor for Municipal Services, noted that these tasks are expensive for the local government, requiring significant labor and specialized equipment.
To address the issue, the council is also focusing on public safety. Badel Albelo, the councilor responsible for this area, confirmed that surveillance has been increased in the most affected spots. The goal is to deter vandalism and identify those responsible for the damage, which ultimately costs taxpayers money. These interventions highlight the ongoing struggle to protect the city’s history from vandalism—a problem that continues to drain resources that could otherwise be spent on other neighborhood improvements.