GRRC Needs More Help In The Fight Against Graffiti
Editor’s note: The Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation (GRRC) announced its analysis of graffiti statistics for 2011 during Community Board 5’s Jan. 11 meeting at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village. An edited version of the report, which was de tion livered at the meeting by Peggy O’Kane of the GRRC, follows.
In 2011, the GRRC removed graffiti at 199 sites, a decline from last year, due to the fact that the organization had to cut down its program to one crew going out three days a week. This move was necessitated by the loss of all New York State funding for the second year in a row.
The GRRC has grants from the city for this fiscal year, but it still leaves the organization with a shortfall that it hopes to make up with a donation campaign.
As noted last year, graffiti is a cyclical offense. Incidents of vandalism in a neighborhood rise and fall as vandals come of age or grow up, or as groups form and dissolve.
One constant, however, is that Ridgewood always has the lion’s share of cleanings. This year, the 126 cleanings in Ridgewood conducted by the GRRC comprised 63.3 percent of the total. The closest runner up was Glendale with 17.6 percent.
In Ridgewood-through the cooperation of P.O. Justin Dambinskas, graffiti coordinator of the 104th Precinct, and the Ridgewood Local Development Corporation (RLDC)-the GRRC was able to sign up a very large building on Wyckoff Avenue for cleaning. The GRRC crew had to return several times because it had been “captured” territory for many years and the vandals were reluctant to give up their canvas.
At the end of the cleaning season, however, that building was clean.
In Glendale, the GRRC’s efforts were mainly focused on the eastern end of the neighborhood, with some cleanings on Central Avenue. Several large, neglected buildings signed up for the program, and each took several days to clean.
Maspeth had only nine cleanings this year, as opposed to 69 last year, mostly on and around Grand Avenue. Maspeth vandals appeared to be less active in 2011.
In Middle Village, the GRRC’s efforts were spread around the neighborhood. The change this year was that properties on Metropolitan Avenue that the GRRC previously had to clean many times a year were left undisturbed.
The GRRC cleaned four properties in Forest Hills, mainly concentrated around Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi’s office. The GRRC also cleaned in Woodhaven near Assemblyman Mike Miller’s office.
In Bushwick, three new properties signed up for cleaning, reflecting the upgrading of the neighborhood; two old properties were also cleaned. The GRRC will increase its outreach to Bushwick, as there is plenty of graffiti that still needs to be removed.
The GRRC expects to start its cleaning program again in April. Once again, it will have to be cur- tailed due to a lack of funding. The GRRC will do its best to continue contributing to the quality of life in the community.
For more information on the program or to donate, call the GRRC at 1-718-366-8721 or visit their website, www.ridgewoodrestoration.org.
