Gwinnett County's graffiti problem is getting better and worse — but mostly better, according to Connie Wiggins.

Wiggins, director of Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, delivered Tuesday a report to the County Commission on the spreading problem of spray-paint vandalism.

The good news, Wiggins reported, is that the number of graffiti sites around the county is down from 2003.

The combined surface area of all public and private property stained by graffiti in Gwinnett is today less than a tenth of what it was in 2003.

The bad news: graffiti is starting to show up in the unlikeliest of places. That includes the Mall of Georgia and the cities of Buford and Snellville.

"Why is there less graffiti?" said Wiggins. "The really encouraging news is that we saw over a 100 percent increase in the number of citizens reporting sites ... and those citizens being the eyes and ears is crucial."

The findings also show that the county's efforts to stamp out graffiti are working. Cleaning up graffiti and cracking down on landlords who let their properties fall into ruin are key parts of the county's overall revitalization campaign.

Last month, the commissioners overhauled its system of enforcing zoning laws. They merged the "Quality of Life" unit in the police department with code enforcement officers and employees of the county planning and development department as well as Clean and Beautiful.

The annual Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful report is based on research conducted every January by county staffers. The employees include satellite mapping experts and police who, Wiggins said, drive every major road in Gwinnett County looking for graffiti.

They measure the square footage of every piece of vandal artwork they find and identify whether the graffiti is random or painted by gangs.

The 2007 study found that:

• The number of graffiti sites is less than half the total found in 2005, but up slightly from last year.

• 3,366 square feet of graffiti across the county this year. In 2003, that total was 37,685 square feet

• More than half of the graffiti can be found in seven "spots."

Among the reports recommendations:

• Make it easier for Spanish-speaking residents to report vandalism.

• Step up the use of inmate labor to remove graffiti.

• Adopt a pilot program to try out graffiti resistant paints or new methods of erasing graffiti.

• Increase surveillance at "hot spot" sites.

Wiggins urged the commissioners "not to rest on our laurels."

"There is not a silver bullet solution to this," said Wiggins.

Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful is a quasi-government agency that's funded by the county, private contributions and revenues collected from recycling. The organization provides environmental education for businesses, schools and neighborhood groups, among other things.