Graffiti Complaints On The Rise In All 5 Boroughs
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New complaints have been mounting further about a growing graffiti problem in New York City, in the wake of a CBS2 story on Monday night.
On Tuesday, CBS2's Scott Rapoport had a follow-up on some heavily-affected areas, and what people are saying.
Graffiti was a well-known scourge of New York City in the 1970s and '80s. Now, 30 to 40 years later, it is seemingly on the rise again.
"It's everywhere," one man said. "It's all over Manhattan."
As CBS2 reported Monday, NYPD statistics show graffiti complaints this year are up 15 percent over last year. But graffiti arrests in 2015 are down 10 percent.
And Rapoport said people are noticing.
"It looks like vandalism," one New Yorker said.
CBS2's story also hit a nerve on the CBS New York Facebook page. Harold Racca wrote, "Sentence the perps to clean it up," while George Costa called it, "Disgusting!!!"
But Jason Bavaro said, "NYC is graffiti, why do you people keep trying to change this place? Just leave."
But people are indeed annoyed as walls, windows, mailboxes and box trucks -- virtually anything sprayable – becomes a potential canvas in all five boroughs.
"It looks like somebody just defamed somebody else's property," a passerby said.
Graffiti is seen everywhere from Chambers and Church streets to the Long Island Rail Road train station in Forest Hills, Queens, and Sunset Park, Brooklyn – one of the most heavily-graffitied areas in all of the city.
Police said complaints have nearly doubled here since last year.
"I'm used to it," said one man in Sunset Park. "I'm born and raised here, so it's part of the backdrop."
Take a drive along the Gowanus Expressway and stick your cell phone camera out the window, and graffiti is seemingly everywhere you look. It is even seen way up high on billboards.
"I don't like it – of course not," one woman said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio told CBS2 his office in the NYPD are working on the problem and anticipating improvement in the future.
"Graffiti is a serious offense," de Blasio said. "I think NYPD has some very sophisticated tools for going at it."
Meanwhile, the NYPD said while graffiti complaints have nearly doubled in Sunset Park, graffiti arrests there have also nearly doubled.
If you are dealing with graffiti problems in your neighborhood, let us know at the CBS New York Facebook page.