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Sunnyside Shines Releases Data on Graffiti Removal Program, Cleans 250 + Instances of Graffiti

July 25, 2014 By Christian Murray

Sunnyside Shines, a business improvement group that promotes this neighborhood’s commercial district, announced this week that it was responsible for cleaning more than 250 instances of graffiti for the fiscal year ending June 30.

The BID, which spent $6,600 on the program, cleaned up graffiti from storefronts, security gates and sidewalks within its boundaries, which covers Queens Boulevard (from 38th to 50th Streets) and Greenpoint Avenue (42nd Street to Queens Boulevard).

Rachel Thieme, the executive director of Sunnyside Shines, said that removing graffiti contributes “to a better-looking neighborhood in which to live, shop and do business.”

Thieme said that taggers have historically targeted the wall by Rite Aid at Greenpoint Avenue and 46th Street, as well as the wall next to Metro PCS, located at the corner of 45th and Greenpoint.

“We have had to paint those walls several times,” Thieme said. However, she said, in recent times taggers have left those walls alone.

Thieme said that the BID sends an employee out with a clipboard on an ongoing basis to write down the locations of the graffiti before notifying a contractor to paint over them.

She said that she is hoping that business owners and residents will call her office (718) 383-0566 or Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer’s office (718) 383-9566 to notify the BID of any instances that they see.

Van Bramer’s office has allocated about a quarter of the funds to cover the BID graffiti program. His office also has an anti-graffiti hotline that people can call to take care of graffiti throughout the neighborhood—not just within the BID boundaries.

In a statement, Van Bramer said he was proud to support the BID’s program and “its success, in conjunction with my office’s anti-graffiti initiative has kept hundreds of local business and residential properties clean.”

To report graffiti and get it cleaned, Van Bramer’s hotline is 718-383-9566

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15 Comments

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NOSTRADAMUS

THANK YOU, SOUTHSIDEJOHNNY,
NOSTRADAMUS IS PLEASED WITH YOUR PRAISES. PEACE BE TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD LIFE

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Krissi

If its “impossible” to control graffiti, then why is it controlled basically all over Manhattan? Because all these areas have lights and cameras installed. That’s really the only way to get rid of the problem.

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South Side Johnny

At least you are here, NOSTRADAMUS. Your wisdom and your jokes are something Sunnyside is proud of. Please, never leave. (seriously- you crazy!)

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NOSTRADAMUS

Sunnyside is full of drunken racists and bigots, oh and hypocrites, full of hatred who like to puff up their chest and start objectify the good people of the internet with their ignorance! Attempt to act like they’re better than everyone else just because they live in a house with wonderful gardens behind them and with their noses high up in the air and heads up their ass so they can savor the smell of their farts LOL. YOU WILL NEVER STOP GRAFFITI SPEND MONEY ON SOMETHING ELSE THAT’S WORTH IT! LIKE SURGICALLY REMOVING YOUR HEAD JIMMY VAN BRAMER’S HEAD FROM UP HIS ASS LOOL

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SuperWittySmitty

Painting over graffiti is a very important response; doing nothing about it is the equivalent of accepting it and giving up. I wish this was done regularly, everywhere. Mailboxes, utility poles, and along those railroad tracks that run parallel to northern blvd. Security cameras are also a necessity, and nowadays, they are not a luxury. Sure, there is a cost to stay on top of this problem, but the costs are greater when we ignore/accept graffiti. Stricter penalties are needed for those who are caught- a hefty fine and also the job of cleaning it up, in public, should be part of the punishment. We need to speak up and be vocal about this. Instead of writing comments online, write to our lawmakers and tell them to crack down on this activity or you will not vote for them.

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Sara

Removing graffiti slows down its acumulation. Who wants to live in a neighborhood that looks like a slum? Graffiti attracts more graffiti. It would be even better to catch the vandals but I applaud this program

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BreakingBad

Just add break dancers in front of the walls with graffiti to create a more friendly atmosphere.

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longtime resident

It’s only a matter of time before the taggers are back to the Rite Aid location. And frankly, it’s no surprise.

No security camera.

The apartment building right beside it lets their lot turn in to a freaking garbage dump. (After watching the garbage pile up for almost two years, I finally made a complaint to the department of sanitation. A fine got someone off their duff to pick up the garbage, but it’s accumulating again).

The stair wells in that building that lead to the basement always smell of urine.

Wasn’t this all part of the broken windows idea to policing from the early 90s? (When a neighborhood looks shabby and uncared for, certain people are more apt to misbehave.)

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Celtic Bark

Unless the cops start staking out known graffiti hot spots and arresting these vandals, this is just pissing in the wind.

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Sunnysider

Why not install cameras in the trouble spots. They are a deterrent believe it or not. I actually have proof of it .

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Zero The Hero

While I don’t agree with how he says it, Nostadamus is right, the Graffiti battle is a lost cause. Unless you are painting every wall in Sunnyside every time some kid writes on it you’ll have a Graffiti problem. There are more kids with Krylon cans and paint markers writing Graffiti then there are people to paint the walls over as soon as something goes up.
Unless real punishment is handed out to those convicted of writing Graffiti there is no reason for them to stop doing it. Many Graffiti writers have MULTIPLE arrests and continue to break the law simply because they know there is no real punishment if they get caught.

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NOSTRADAMUS

Jimmy Van Bramer and the rest of them are so caught up on Sunnyside “LOOKING” like it’s got all it’s ducks in a row but it really doesn’t. Graffiti will not stop, you idiots, so why waste the money? Put it toward something else. YOU’RE DOING THEM A FAVOR BY “BUFFING” THESE WALLS ALLOWING THEM TO RETURN AND KEEP DOING WHAT THEY’RE DOING. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF IDIOTS WHO WANT TO ACT LIKE THEY’VE GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL! TRYING TO STOP GRAFFITI IS LIKE TRYING TO DRINK OUT OF A BROKEN CUP, STUPID KIDS WITH A CAN AND A BLANK WALL IS LIKE EVERYONE IN SUNNYSIDE WITH A STICK UP THEIR ASS AND AN OPINION. YOU JUST CAN’T STOP THEM.

NOSTRADAMUS KNOWS ALL

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nobody

If the 108 wants some easy meat, they should wait across the street tonight in an unmarked car and pick off the first people who go after the virgin wall.

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Patricia Dorfman

SS efforts are laudatory on graffiti. but why no mention in the story that that in addition, $30,000 per year via jimmy van bramer advocacy is paid by the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce for graffiti clean up?

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