By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

BEAUTIFY CNMI! and the Department of Public Safety are urging the community to participate in a program that will help address graffiti and vandalism in the CNMI.
DPS, through its crime prevention program, and Beautify CNMI! volunteers said they have been working together for the past few months to help repaint vandalized walls.
DPS Commissioner Rebecca Warfield, Reps. Absalon Waki, Cinta M. Kaipat, Beautify CNMI! restoration committee chairman Angelo Villagomez and Tricia Seman, officer-in-charge of the DPS crime prevention program, discussed the problem at yesterday’s joint press conference.
They said there is a need to create a “positive approach” through creative activities like painting or designating venues where young people can freely express their feelings through paintings or creative graffiti.
Waki, Covenant-Saipan, said these proposals will probably not eradicate the problem, but it will help.
Seman said graffiti has been a social problem for many years now.
Kaipat, Covenant-Saipan, said there is a need to solve the problem to help restore the beauty of the island whose economy depends on tourism.
She said their proposals will also allow the youth to discover their talents in painting.
Villagomez said for the past several months, Beautify CNMI! volunteers have been repainting vandalized walls.
He said the Marianas Visitors Authority has donated $2,000 for the paint that the volunteers need.
He said they are also encouraging the community to participate in the program and to donate more paint.
Seman said just a few weeks ago, some members of the Law Enforcement Explorer Program volunteered to paint the bus stop in Susupe in front of the Downtown Market.
The bus stop was repainted but was again vandalized.
Recently, several establishments in Chalan Kanoa and Susupe, including the public library, were vandalized.
Commissioner Warfield said the matter is being investigated by her department.