Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
B. P. Molinaro Urges Seniors to Take Advantage of Assistance Program
Program helps fund graffiti removal
STATEN ISLAND, NY – Borough President Molinaro today expressed his desire that victims of graffiti who are senior citizens take advantage of a special program.
Borough President Molinaro is strongly encouraging graffiti victims to report any incidents to police as soon as possible. Molinaro would also like to encourage victims to take advantage of a service offered through the New York State Crime Victims Board, which assists those over 60 years of age with the costs of cleaning up the graffiti. “Cleaning up graffiti is not only time-consuming, but also costly. Removing the paint is necessary to keep our Island clean and to discourage future offenses. This program helps those who are most likely retired or living on a limited income to repair the damage,” Molinaro said.
“Yesterday’s meeting went very well and was an important first step in the process of combating graffiti vandalism,” Molinaro said. “We are sending a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated anymore.”
The panel will meet again in three weeks to pool ideas regarding the prevention of vandalism and the prosecution of those who commit the crime. The talks are centered around a “three-prong approach,” consisting of prevention, cleanup, and prosecution. Borough President Molinaro is confident that the talks will lead to better solutions regarding graffiti, and is hopeful that Staten Islanders will start to take the problem more seriously than they have in the past.
“It is time for the residents of our Borough to take pride in the cleanliness and appearance of our community. In an age when we have become almost desensitized to the presence of graffiti, we have become somewhat lax in our attempts to prevent it. I am calling upon all Staten Islanders to play an active role in helping to keep our Borough graffiti-free,” Molinaro concluded.
September 22, 2004