Art used to combat graffiti at construction sites in downtown Los Angeles

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- One construction site in downtown Los Angeles has been tagged with graffiti so many times that leaders decided to fight back in a most unusual way: By using art.

Dozens of students transformed a graffiti-covered fence surrounding a construction project in the South Park area of downtown L.A. into a colorful work of art.

The South Park Business Improvement District came up with the idea as a way to get rid of taggers, who they said are a constant nuisance in the area.

"On a regular basis, we probably have the fence tagged on any one night about five times, and it was challenging to actually get the fence down and replaced," Jessica Lall, the executive director of the South Park Business Improvement District said.

About 50 students from Metro Charter Elementary School eagerly took part in the project and leaders with the South Park Business Improvement District said the program was working.

Since the artwork went up, officials said were only two incidents of tagging at the construction site, or about a 95 percent decrease in graffiti.

"It's showing them (the students) that no matter how small your voice is, it matters," Kim Clerx, principal of Metro Charter Elementary School said.