Report: Sheepshead Bay Sees Staggering Spike In Graffiti Complaints
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New complaints have emerged on graffiti seen around New York City.
Last week, CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported on residents filing complaints against graffiti in Forrest Hills, Queens. The report opened up a dialogue from other New York City residents, who shared the same concerns in neighborhoods across the borough.
On Monday, Rapoport went to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn -- another area which saw a spike in street graffiti incidents.
According to NYPD statistics obtained by CBS2, complaints for "making graffiti" in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn have jumped 525 percent this year --- up to 200 reported incidents in 2015 from only 32 in 2014. Arrests for graffiti in Sheepshead Bay are down 50 percent this year, down to 12 from 24 in 2014, according to police.
"They're breaking the law, there's no respect," one Sheepshead Bay resident said.
Police sources said graffiti complaints overall in Sheepshead Bay have risen 164 percent in the last year.
CBS2 has been documenting the apparent growth of graffiti across the five boroughs -- a problem New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has acknowledged as 'very, very serious.'
"In any given week or month you might see some statistical movement, but here's the big picture -- we will very aggressively go after all quality of life offenses," de Blasio said.
In New York City overall, graffiti complaints are up 14 percent, while overall arrests are down 10 percent, police said.
Despite complaints, the city said it's not as if it's been sitting on it's hands. NYPD statistics show the department made more than 11,661 graffiti clean ups this year through October.
The most clean-ups have been in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn.
De Blasio said he expects the problem to improve with the addition of 2,000 more cops set to be on patrol in 2016.
The NYPD said it has been asking it's patrol officers to take photos of graffiti with smart phones for its database -- which has resulted in a large spike in graffiti complaints on file.
Police say arrest percentages for these types of incidents has decreased because of the recent increase in the volume of complaints.