Coney Island's Graffiti Cleanup

Police from Patrol Borough Brooklyn South are launching an extensive graffiti cleanup tomorrow, according to an article on Brooklyn Graphic. One of the targeted areas is Coney Island, where police will be working with the local group, Kick Drugs Out of the U.S.A. to clean up sites such as Surf and Mermaid Avenues. In addition to cleaning up graffiti, police will also be promoting their $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of graffiti writers.

The city's continued emphasis on anti-graffiti programs seems misdirected. Sure, some local business owners will probably appreciate the help. For the most part, however, these initiatives are a continuation of Giuliani's 'quality of life' program, which always seemed to be primarily about putting a sanitized façade on the city, and criminalizing people's use of public space.

In Coney Island, at least, the efforts of police and volunteers might be better served patching the holes in the boardwalk- which pose an actual danger- rather than painting over harmless graffiti.


New assault against ugly graffiti - Effort to be borough-wide [Brooklyn Graphic]

- post by Ben Nadler