Thanks to photos taken by members of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association, two youths accused of vandalizing property around the Jamaica Avenue train station were busted.
According to Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Block Residents Association, members of his group in October took photographs of graffiti on the elevated train on Jamaica Avenue.
The graffiti, Wendell said, read ‘V.O.D.,’ which stands for Vandals of Destruction. After submitting the pictures to 311 later that month, the association received a letter from the Metropolitan Transit Authority two weeks ago stating that they had received their complaint.
While Wendell thought that he would not hear back regarding the matter, he said he was notified by police last week that, thanks in part to the pictures taken, police made two arrests in the case.
The photographs had been shown to a school security officer at the Franklin K. Lane High School, who identified the youths.
Calls were made to the 102nd Precinct for additional information on the two youths arrested.
“Going forward, they are going to be known as vandals on detention,” Wendell said at Saturday’s WRBA meeting.
Graffiti has been a problem for Woodhaven residents in the last several years.
Sal Consemi, a block captain for the WRBA,said he had previously noticed problems on 88th Avenue, where one house owned by a woman who is deceased has been vandalized in the past,with youths climbing up and spraying graffiti on the home.
“They completely massacred the side of her house,” he said.
Judy Close, who works for State Sen. Joseph Addabbo’s office, also complained that graffiti around Atlantic Avenue had been appearing again.
In response to those asking what the WRBA could do regarding the problem, Wendell encouraged people to call 311 in order to have their complaints on record. That, he said, would help the WRBA follow up on those complaints to make sure that action is taken.
“We can be the ones that follow up and makesure that this is taken care of.”In addition, Assemblyman Michael Miller, state Sen. Joseph Addabo and city Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley have previously offered$500 to residents for information leading to the arrest/conviction of graffiti vandals.
By Jean-Paul Salamanca
jp.salamanca@theforumnewsgroup.com
