Graffiti officer named at the 111th Precinct

&#8220Doing graffiti is addictive. For most it's a stage, but in certain circumstances individuals continue,” said police officer Frank Ciofrone.
Ciofrone, a three-year veteran at the 111th Precinct in Bayside has been appointed as a graffiti officer following a citywide directive that every precinct have one.
It will be his task to keep walls, buildings, bridges and any other public surfaces in his sector of northeast Queens graffiti free.
Ciofrone will also be making sure that kids don't scrawl any graffiti, or stop tagging - before they are caught.
For graffiti vandals, the idea is to put their &#8220tag” in places where everyone will see it. Tags are each graffiti artists' individual identification, similar to a brand or a trademark.
&#8220It's a status symbol in the graffiti world to see your tag up. That why I encourage businesses and other victims to take the time to clean the walls immediately.” According to Ciofrone, if the graffitist knows his or her tag will not last they will soon lose interest in that location. &#8220I always advise people, stay on top of it. That's what will deter graffiti.”
Ciofrone was appointed to his current position because he has an interest in graffiti and he enjoys working with kids. &#8220Graffiti originates in schools and at a very young age,” he said. Ciofrone plans to visit more schools in 2007. &#8220I want to teach young kids that graffiti causes damage, both monetary and to the quality of life of the community.” The police department considers graffiti vandalism.
Ciofrone currently meets with school administrators and talks to children individually and in small groups. He considers it important to reach kids before they commit this crime.
&#8220We want to get to them at a young age to make them aware,” Ciofrone said. He says that first offenders are usually aged 13 to 14, and while many graffiti vandals are young, there is no typical graffiti perpetrator.
&#8220They come in all shapes and forms. Some people continue into their 20s and 30s. The 111th Precinct is fortunate that the graffiti here isn't generally gang related,” he said.
Ciofrone plans to let the vandals know that graffiti won't be tolerated. He sees schools as a wealth of resourses.
In his new job, Ciofrone's biggest challenge is to find a balance between helping people and enforcing the law. There were over 30 arrests for graffiti in the 111th Precinct last year.