Despite an aggressive effort by the city of El Paso to get rid of graffiti, Lower Valley residents tell KFOX14, it's still a big problem in the neighborhood.

"You see it sometimes like in homes like around the school," said Jose Alonzo, who lives near El Paso Community College's Valle Verde campus.

Graffiti near the school is causing a very specific concern for Jose L. Ramirez, EPCC Police Chief.

"Like anywhere else near the college, it appears the neighborhood is unsafe, when it reality it may not be," Ramirez said. "But it may be giving off that appearance."

He said it will inevitably affect EPCC in a negative way.

"When people see that, they may think, you know, we can do it outside in the neighborhood but maybe we can also do it in the college, and that's not the case," Ramirez said.,

The city of El Paso is working to combat graffiti in not just the Lower Valley, but all over El Paso. If you see graffiti, please report it.

Alonzo hopes things will change in the future.

 "We're trying to keep our neighborhoods nice and clean and for graffiti to come and trying to mess up especially for the little kids that live around here," Ramirez said.