SPOKANE -- The number of reports of graffiti within Spokane city limits has nearly doubled over the last year and in the hard hit West Central neighborhood one woman trying to stop it says the first step in making it go away is pride.

John Jones has seen graffiti in the alley behind his house in West Central Spokane for the last six months. While he considers some graffiti art he doesn’t want it on or near his property. So why hasn't he done something about it sooner?

“I haven't taken it down because I figure if I do they're just gonna come back and tag it again, basically, so why waste the paint until the problem is solved,” Jones said.

That’s the attitude that Christy Hamilton, the director of the Spokane COPS program, says people can’t have.

“The sooner you clean it up the faster you send the message that it's not appreciated here,” Hamilton said Wednesday.

She identifies graffiti as a gateway crime, a symbolic gesture that people don't care. She says it also opens the door to other activity like drug use, break-ins and illegal dumping.

“When you let one thing happen a series of things happen,” Hamilton said.

In 2008 there were 550 reports of graffiti inside the city limits. So far this year there have been 928 reports of graffiti in Spokane with two months left in the year.

Hamilton says the increase could be just the fact that more people are reporting it but the fact remains the problem isn't going away until people work together to eradicate it.

“Lets show people that this is not an appreciated thing, we don’t like it, we won't accept it,” she said.