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Graffiti on the Rise Citywide
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 22, 2008
Modified Apr 22, 2008
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 22, 2008
Modified Apr 22, 2008
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Photo by Jake Dobkin.
New stats from the NYPD show an 81.5% rise in graffiti-related complaints from 2006 to 2007 (pre-Splasher!), a year that graffiti arrests also went up 28%.
Queens council member Peter Vallone, Jr. notes that, "we did an excellent job turning the tide against graffiti in the '90s and the beginning part of this century. Unfortunately, because of the lack of police officers, the fact that they have to do double duty and combat serious threats like terrorism, minor crime, including graffiti, are on the rise." As such, Vallone has turned the graffiti problem into his own personal battle, along with his attempt at trying to pass a law against daredevils climbing buildings (something that happens once in a blue moon).
Vallone blames evil pop culture for the insurgence, however the NYPD notes that the numbers could just be a result of "better reporting and police work"; in 2007 police began logging 311 and 911 graffiti complaints and documenting the identities of taggers. More stats after the jump...
Graffiti complaints in the 28th Precinct, which includes Ferguson's eatery, shot up from 10 to 44 - an astounding 440 percent - between 2006 and 2007.
Manhattan South had a more modest increase of 52 percent more complaints - from 426 to 647 - and 8 percent more arrests, for a total of 383 last year.
Brooklyn North saw complaints more than double, from 489 to 1,084 - 122 percent - while arrests were up 69 percent to 488.
Brooklyn South had an 81 percent increase to 1,421 complaints, and arrests climbed 16 percent, to 680.
Queens North had an 84 percent spike, from 904 complaints to 1,662, and arrests went up 11 percent, from 615 to 680.
In Queens South, complaints climbed 80 percent, to 864, and arrests were up 17 percent, to 259.
Bronx graffiti complaints increased 59 percent, to 1,416, and arrests rose 61 percent, to 780.
Staten Island saw a staggering 95 percent surge in complaints, from 468 to 914, and arrests were up 37 percent, to 198.
Tagged
crime
graffiti
nypd
peter vallone jr.
street art
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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