Candid camera for vandals

With graffiti on the rise, city officials on Wednesday said they are deploying high-tech security cameras to the east San Fernando Valley to catch vandals in the act. Alex Dobuzinskis in the Daily News.

The FlashCam, a solar-powered gizmo being used at spots heavily hit by graffiti, shines a light and uses a recorded voice to warn potential vandals to move along.

When motorists drive through an intersection and see a flash from a similar camera, they know they've run a red light and that "a ticket is on the way," City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel said.

"This is the same concept," she said.

The city is putting three new FlashCam cameras in Greuel's East Valley district, where graffiti crews' work has tripled this year. She is putting up $35,000 in matching funds to help buy an additional 10, with residents and businesses expected to put up another $35,000 to buy those cameras.