April 20, 2015 By Christian Murray
A photo was shot of a man spray-painting the exterior wall of a Sunnyside grocery store earlier this month.
The alleged vandal, who was with his girlfriend, was tagging the wall outside Sunnyside Market at 42-08 43rd Avenue at about 8:00 am on April 8, according to a resident who snapped the picture, who wants to remain anonymous.
The witness described the alleged perpetrator as a white male between 18 -25 years of age.
The incident comes at a time when the police are stepping up their efforts to combat graffiti in Sunnyside.
The police are about to start putting up posters inside the windows of local businesses this week to remind residents about New York City’s graffiti reward program. The program provides a $500 reward for those who report information leading to the arrest and conviction of a perpetrator.
“We’re very supportive of the NYPD 108th Precinct’s programs to deter graffiti,” said Rachel Thieme, executive director with Sunnyside Shines. “The precinct takes all reports of graffiti seriously and works closely with community partners like Sunnyside Shines to beautify the neighborhood.”
Sonny Patel, the owner of Sunnyside Market, said he will be putting up the poster. “It’s crazy how much I have to clean,” Patel said. He said he also plans on upgrading his cameras in an effort to stop it.
The gates, windows and exterior walls at Sunnyside Market are constantly being sprayed, he said.
There have been many instances of graffiti in the neighborhood in recent times, with the tag SBR being the most prominent. Two Facebook pages have been set up by supporters of the tag, which used to showcase their work.
The following Facebook page appears dedicated to the tag.
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