$500 bounty on graffiti vandals

The tags can be seen nearly everywhere – from private homes to businesses to city property. Graffiti mars many areas in the borough.
Now, on the heels of three graffiti arrests, three local politicians are offering a reward – from their own pockets – to anyone with information leading to the apprehension and conviction of vandals.
Assemblymember Mike Miller, Senator Joseph Addabbo, and Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley are offering $500 to any residents who can provide information on graffiti vandals that leads to an arrest and conviction.
“To create a graffiti-free environment, the whole neighborhood needs to be involved and this reward will encourage those who see something to say something,” said Crowley.
The initiative comes after three individuals, Matthew Young, 23, Thomas Rank, 19, and a 16-year-old whose name The Courier is not printing due to his age, were arrested for graffiti vandalism last week in the 104th Precinct.
According to a spokesperson for the district attorney, graffitists are usually charged with either making graffiti or criminal mischief. The sentence handed down depends on, among other things, the number of incidents, whether or not the vandal has been arrested before and the cost of the damage.
Vandals can receive community service, may have to pay restitution “for what it costs to get rid of the graffiti,” or may even face jail time.
“Our residents are furious and they have every right to be,” said Miller, who noted that police precincts and local groups have been painting over vandalism for years. “When residents call our offices to report fresh graffiti, we help them document it and then help clean it up. It’s time we took a stronger stand.”
The New York Police Department also has a program, funded by the Police Foundation, with a reward of up to $500.
“We’re all chipping in and working along with the NYPD,” said Addabbo. “By supplementing their reward, we’re hoping to make people more aware so we can address this quality of life issue.”
“I think it’s great,” said Deputy Inspector Armando DeLeon, Commanding Officer of the 102nd Precinct. He told The Courier that within the command, vandalism has declined over the past two years because of “great graffiti officers like Jeremy Ornstein and Edward Herdina,” but that it is in fact a recidivist crime.
Areas, he said, that are often targets for tags include the vicinity of the Long Island Rail Road at 100th and 101st Avenues and Jamaica Avenue.
“Train tracks and underpasses are targets we still have to address,” echoed Addabbo, “especially in areas of Glendale, Middle Village and Ozone Park.”
“By offering a cash reward to anyone who can stop these vandals we will help police catch them, prosecutors convict them and most importantly keep our neighborhoods clean,” said Miller.
“Anything that will assist in identifying graffiti vandals is a step forward,” said Community Board 10 chair Betty Braton.
Other politicians also have graffiti programs in effect.
“I commend Senator Addabbo, Assemblymember Miller, and Councilmember Crowley for taking an aggressive stance toward cracking down on graffiti offenders and wish them the best of luck with their program,” said Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi. “I would like to remind residents of my STOP Graffiti Program. Residents of our community are encouraged to call my graffiti hotline at 718-263-5687. My office will coordinate free clean up of the site.”
“We have an ongoing [cleanup] program we fund that supplements the city’s,” added Councilmember Daniel Halloran.
Halloran said one issue that his district is facing in terms of graffiti is the defacement of LIRR stations and the inability to clean them up due to restrictions from the state’s transit authority.
According to Halloran, the number of graffiti incidents has been about the same. “Incidents are down in many districts, but there have been spikes in College Point and some parts of Bayside,” he said.
Although the reward program is being offered through all three offices (Addabbo, 718-738-1111; Miller, 718-805-0950; Crowley, 718-366-3900), anyone witnessing a crime in progress should immediately call 9-1-1. To report existing graffiti, you can call 3-1-1.