Woodhaven residents said graffiti has become especially problematic around a former pool hall at 76th Street and Rockaway Boulevard. Photo courtesy Patty Eggers
Mass amounts of graffiti plague Woodhaven Boulevard, according to area residents attending Saturday’s Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association meeting – and the individuals said it is time to find solutions for the removal and prevention of the unsightly scrawlings.
Woodhaven resident Patty Eggers said “the graffiti is unbelievable” at Rockaway Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue around where a pool hall used to be located. She added that, “Rockaway Boulevard is full of roving bandits.”
“Could you pay extra attention up there?” Eggers asked police officers from the 102nd Precinct.
Not only did residents cite graffiti as a major issue near the former pool hall, but also on houses in the neighborhood and in various parts of the community, and they said it was seemingly worse and more present than in previous years.
102nd Police Officer Jose Severino said there are two individuals in the precinct tasked specifically with working on graffiti issues.
“If you clean it up right away when you see something on your neighbor’s property, it will deter the graffiti artists,” Severino said.
WRBA President Martin Colberg said that because of the cold weather it has been harder to get rid of the graffiti this year and noted there may not be more graffiti, but merely less of a chance to remove it.
He said once the spring arrives there will be a full-fledged effort to remove the graffiti in the area.
Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) agreed with being proactive about removal and also discussed the cameras that will be put in place around the corner of Park Lane South and Woodhaven Boulevard, the intersection of 80th Street and Myrtle Avenue, the junction of Forest Parkway and Park Lane South and the corner of Freedom Drive and Myrtle Avenue.
“They are set and they will go in; it will take time – but they will be in,” Miller said.
Rudy Giuliani from Councilman Eric Ulrich’s (R-Ozone Park) office also spoke on the matter. He said that Ulrich’s office funds, through a bid, “a graffiti removal project for anyone in our district. It is a removal program. They will knock on the door and have the home owner sign a waiver and remove the graffiti.”
Giuliani said that it has not been running this winter because of the cold weather. He mentioned that they do not paint anything but power wash the graffiti off.
Colberg said, “We are going work hard with our elected officials on knocking out this graffiti. We want to make sure people want to stay here.”
Eggers also spoke after the meeting and said that the graffiti in that area “seems like a turf war.”
During the meeting, WRBA member Alex Blenkinsopp commented on the existence of two gangs the Woodhaven community.
Severino said there are “small gangs present in Woodhaven.”
The two gangs are the Woodhaven Mayans and G-Fly. The Woodhaven Mayans are “a group of eight to 10 guys and only three guys live in Woodhaven,” Severino said.
“They either live somewhere else or are incarcerated,” he continued.
Severino said the same applies for G-fly.
“They associate themselves with Woodhaven but they are not doing their dirty work in Woodhaven,” he said.
He explained that the 102nd Precinct is watching out for these gang members.
“We know who they are; we have a list of all their names,” the officer said. “Half of these guys are incarcerated – even more than that, actually.”
He assured Woodhaven residents that “it should not be worried about.”
The next Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association will be held on Saturday, March 15, 1 p.m., at Emanuel United Church of Christ at 91st Ave. and Woodhaven Blvd.
