Chaparral community battles major trash and graffiti issues

CHAPARRAL, New Mexico -- A small community 35 miles southeast of Las Cruces is suffering from a major image problem.

Doña Ana County has launched "Operation Community Sweep."

The operations is described as an intensive clean-up effort to enforce county environmental, animal control and building codes ordinances.

Officials with the operation have said they will commit more resources and spend several months working their way across the community to clean up neighborhoods.

A top priority in community sweep is squaring away a growing housing issue.

“Chaparral really has a problem with unauthorized mobile homes," said Dońa Ana County public information officer Kelly Jameson. "People that do not get the proper permits so we are offering an amnesty for that for people to come into compliance and pay the permit fee rather than face consequences."

Operation organizers will offer amnesty to residents who have broken the rules rather than fines or citations.

Inoperable vehicles and weed over growth are also being target by operation clean sweep.

Another issue involves expanded animal control measures as resident have said that groups of loose dogs running around the community and across roadways has been a big problem for years

And they’ve also been fighting an ongoing battle against graffiti.

Ultimately the county is hoping to clear out an estimated 400 dilapidated mobile homes in and around the Chaparral community.