Los Angeles police expressed concern Thursday about a jump in vandalism and graffiti just before the  opening of the "Art in the Streets" exhibit at the Geffen Contemporary museum in Little Tokyo.

Over the last two days, dozens of tags, including monikers and larger so-called bombs have blighted several commercial buildings behind 1st Street as well dumpsters and light poles within a stone's throw of the museum entrance.

"In the last two weeks, we've seen an enormous amount of vandalism in the Little Tokyo area, near the MOCA entrance," said LAPD Officer Jack Richter. "We respect the rights to have an art exhibition but we demand the security of other people's property."

"As former Chief Bratton was found of saying, "if you want to be an artist, buy a canvas," Richter said.

Brian Kito, President of the Little Tokyo Public Safety Assn. and owner of the Fugetosu-do sweet shop, the oldest business in the area, said the museum has reached out to community leaders, previewing the exhibit for them, and encouraging them to contact the museum if there are any problems.

"We are welcoming people that appreciate street art but we hope they are not inspired to show off their work on the buildings outside," Kito said.

The Geffen Contemporary museum website describes "Art in the Streets" as the "first major U.S. museum survey of graffiti and street art."

The exhibition, which opens Sunday and runs through Aug. 8, traces the development of graffiti and street art from the 1970s "to the global movement, concentrating on key cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Sao Paulo, where a unique visual language or attitude has evolved," the MOCA website says.