YAKIMA, Wash.-- Yakima's City Council is making changes to the city's graffiti abatement program.
Under the old code, property owners could be fined $400 if they failed to clean up graffiti after the city notified them.
Tuesday's change gets rid of that penalty.
"I think it's a very good change because I've always thought that you don't punish the victim for crimes committed against them. And that's what the $400 fine did, as far as I'm concerned," said Lynne Kittelson, who supports the change.
The new ordinance also sets up a new graffiti abatement program that will use city personnel to clean up graffiti on private property.
