Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn is one of the most graffiti-scarred areas in the city.
“You can’t turn a corner without seeing graffiti around here. The city cleans it up and the kids just come and do the same thing all over again,” complained Patricia Bradford. It’s bringing property values down.”
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Graffiti complaints in north Brooklyn neighborhoods rose 20% since 2007 and arrests for the scrawls increased 24.5%.
The number of graffiti complaints includes calls from the public to report vandalism to the NYPD, as well as all graffiti-related criminal charges the NYPD files against suspects after they’re arrested.
Citywide, complaints and arrests rose about 10%, although not all Brooklyn neighborhoods enjoyed the trend.
In southern Brooklyn areas like Sunset Park, Coney Island and Borough Park, graffiti complaints rose by 9.7%, while arrests plummeted by 12.1% last year from their 2007 levels.
“They should be doing better. We need to have some arrests so that we have an example and to show that we won’t tolerate it,” said Renee Giordano, executive director of the Sunset Park Business Improvement District.
Arrests for graffiti vandalism in Sunset Park’s 72nd Precinct fell by 15% in 2008 and graffiti complaints increased from 111 in 2007 to 130 in 2008.
Overall, south Brooklyn neighborhoods had the second most graffiti complaints, after the Bronx, last year, followed by Queens and northern Brooklyn areas.
Community leaders and local politicians say more complaints means more residents are reclaiming their neighborhoods.
“Once we clean it, people want to see cleaner streets and they’re filing complaints,” said City Councilwoman Diana Reyna (D-Bushwick, Williamsburg.)
Arrest them, then spray paint the kids faces in front of family and friends.
I actually use public paddling – just like they do in Singapore. I promise you this behavior will stop. You publicly humilate the kid in front of his/her friends and family.
But until the government run schools (commonly referred to as public schools) and the guardians of these children teach then wrong vs. right and respect for public and/or private property, this will never end. The building they ‘tag’ may be old, but someone worked for it. Another person’s business might be located in that building. People may call that building home.
This is a serious quality of life issue that needs to be knocked out before the kids advance to more serious crimes.
The first step to stop this destruction is to stop using the word “graffiti” and start calling in Vandalism.
The word graffiti implies an art form, which makes the perpretrator feel like an artist rather than a criminal/vandal.
graffiti shmaffiti, a few good ‘shmaisen fin inten’ a la singapore, will clear up the problem faster than you can groan ‘i can’t sit down’. NOBODY in singapore vandalizes twice
Well since Bloomberg doesnt care about anything besides money and manattan, what do you expect. He just cut a thousant police jobs and added more meter maids.
need stronger rules,make the kids repaint and clean the area on free time make a datebase of all past offenders if something happens u have some kids to question start fining the parents for repeat offenders keep on upping the fine.
Where is location in this above picture?
Who is this person in the picture ?
They should go after the ones that sell them the spray paint
arrest that young man with the luggage…he did it
Instead of focusing on graffiti and real issues they are focusing on signs and landlords and other miner violations and not important issues ITS ALL BLOOMBERG!!!TIME TO GO