Community members decided to tackle the growing number of graffiti tags around Kalispell by cleaning up several downtown buildings on Saturday morning.

City council members, Kalispell police officers, and Flathead County Commissioners took to the streets and tackled several heavily tagged buildings with paint and chemicals to remove or hide the graffiti.

Council member Phil Guiffrida says he hopes this effort will shed more light on this situation.

"Community awareness of the problem is probably one of the most improtant things we're trying to get today," said Guiffrida, "I've heard it numerous times, 'Well I don't really see the graffiti because we really don't have a huge problem.' But since we've started to bring community awareness to this issue they're like, 'Oh yeah, I saw it over on this building.' So that awareness is what's going to help catch these people."