The New York Post reports on the staggering proliferation of graffiti in the city that must be driving the new police commissioner insane. According to the tabloid, there was “211 more graffiti complaints this year compared with last year,” noting how “that’s about a 5 percent spike citywide, from 3,956 to 4,167.” A whole 211 more complaints in a city of over 8,400,000 people spread out over 468 square miles? That’s it? Does include all those subway cars that got bombed in the past few months? Just a few weeks ago, the L train pictured above was hit and in a marked departure from MTA policy, wasn’t immediately taken out of service.
Also keep in mind, that graffiti is often a catch-all phrase to include everything from people carving their initials in park benches to elaborate spray painted pieces and anti-semitic ex-cops scrawling swastikas around Brooklyn.
So in the scheme of things, this increase was modest at best — especially when one considers how popularity the art form has become — with rise most likely attributable to the unusual amount of snow that walloped NYC this winter and less to do with it being #deblasiosnewyork.
(Photo:@DJ IXL)
