104th Precinct Plans Mass Cleanup
Graffiti vandals were busy during the winter making a mess around local communities, and with warmer spring weather ahead, the 104th Precinct is gearing up to get rid of it.
The Ridgewood-based command announced last Thursday, Apr. 18, that it is planning a massive graffiti cleanup tentatively scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The precinct is asking members of the public for their participation in the event, which has a goal of making the communities of Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village (as well as a portion of Rego Park) close to graffiti-free.
Teams of police officers and volunteers will meet up on May 11 at three designated locations: Maspeth Memorial Park, at the corner of 69th Street and Grand Avenue; Juniper Valley Park, at the corner of 80th Street and Juniper Boulevard South in Middle Village; and the 104th Precinct’s stationhouse, located at 64-02 Catalpa Ave. in Ridgewood.
From there, the cleanup crews will head over to locations in the surrounding areas where vandalism was reported to police.
In recent months, police sources stated, the 104th Precinct’s special operations coordinator, Lt. James Lombardi, worked with the command’s graffiti coordinator, P.O. Larry Valdemar, to record all the locations where graffiti complaints were recorded.
The information gathered by police through this effort will be used to find spots where graffiti will be painted over, police noted.
Residents are encouraged to participate in the precinct-wide graffiti cleanup. Donations of paint and painting supplies are also appreciated, law enforcement sources said.
To register as a volunteer for the cleanup or to make a donation, contact John Perricone, 104th Precinct Community Council president, by email at john-perricone@hotmail.com; or P.O. Thomas Bell of the 104th Precinct Community Affairs Unit by email to thomas.bell@nypd.org or by phone at 1-718-386- 2431.
Police remind the public that graffiti vandalism is a crime punishable by a fine and up to a year in prison. Anyone who sees an individual in the process of committing graffiti vandalism should call 911 immediately. To report past cases of such vandalism, call 311.
