Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Marking "Their" Territory

A reader writes in:
"Last night when I got home from work, I saw black spray paint graffiti covering my garage door ( in the 4600 block of Winthrop) that included gang symbols. This morning, when I woke up, I saw that another thug painted new symbols over it in red spray paint to mark "their" territory.

If these folks are so keen on owning all this territory - maybe they can start paying my mortgage, assessments and property taxes? Property taxes which will go, in turn, to cleaning up this graffiti. I really hope that the city is not still considering lowering or cutting these needed services, as suggested with their recent budget proposals."

Just a reminder that you can request graffiti removal through calling 311 or this website.

Update: The graffiti was removed yesterday. Not sure if it was the property owners or Graffiti Blasters, but we're glad to see it gone. Thanks to whoever removed it!!!

24 comments:

  1. 24 hour armed, volunteer civilian militia... the gangs will be gone in about 2 weeks. Call the alderman's office now!!

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  2. I'd like to catch one of those little Sh^^s.

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  3. I agree 100% with the approach of UptownAction. That for sure would do the trick. Most of the residents I see around here, when it comes to gangs, sure can talk the talk but are to afraid to walk the walk to rid the neighborhoods of these dam gangs once and for all.

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  4. Wiseguy, are you "walking the walk", and if so, how? Be specific please.

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  5. UptownAction, I was just wondering. You're joking, right?

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  6. sgd have been marking stuff up in RP as well. Spanish gangster disciples.

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  7. Well Wiseguy, after the upcoming police redistricting, it sounds like we'll have even less protection from the urban terrorists.

    Hypothetically speaking, if a group of civilians brought enough extreme violence against the gangs and actually got them out of here, would that group be applauded or chastised? I'd be willing to bet not only being incarcerated but also chastised. It's the Batman syndrome of hating the hero... hence gangs, terrorists, violence and war will ALWAYS exist.

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  8. - Wiseguy

    Also would be nice to bring some of that old Bridgeport mentality into Uptown..

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  9. -just wondering,


    keep wondering.. btw you're not a member of CopWatch, the ACLU (although I agree with them on many points with the exception to their view on dealing with terrorists), or a hard leaning liberal are you?

    Just to open up dialogue, what's your solution to riding our neighborhood or city of gangs?

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  10. UA, are you aware that police are trained about when to use a gun and when not to use a gun to stop a crime, and that they can only fire a weapon when the criminal has a weapon pulled and is threatening to use it? Are you aware of all the training that the police go through to handle these very intense situations?

    And now you want a group of untrained residents with guns roaming the streets? Do you think, perhaps, some of the very same people who are part of the problem will be the very same people who will want to be the ones carrying the guns?

    If you get accidentally shot by one of these volunteer civilian militia, I wonder if you file a lawsuit against the civilian, the city for allowing this stupid idea, or both?

    What's my solution? Well, a good start would be to go to CAPS and participate with others in a little bit of problem solving. Even better would be to try something that's allowed by law and approved by the city.

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  11. I have noticed a lot of tagging along Wilson on every lampost, electric/phone box etc. It seems to have become worse recently. Calls to the alderman's office have been to no avail.

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  12. Well if they mark up the lamp posts the easy way to combat that is walk around with gloss black spray paint, shake the can up and as you walk around spray over any graffiti you dont like. Thats what I do in RP. It takes less time than it does for the gang dudes to mark it up.

    I spray over it IMMEDIATELY. Its fun. Two can play at this game. INstant gratification as well. I use a piece of cardboard if I need to protect any adjoining surfaces.

    Well.....
    The path of least resistance is where the gangs will hang and tag. RESIST!!!

    Who hates batman????
    I dont, I certainly dont think we need vigilantes, but a real life Batman would be cool.

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  13. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who called graffiti blasters about this. It's all gone!

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  14. Not all graffiti is gang-related. And jeffo, I would much rather see tags with artistic hand styles than your eyesore of random black patches, number one, and number two, your "solution" is no different than what the graffiti artist is doing. And since you're using cardboard, it sounds like you've even made yourself a lovely stencil.

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  16. Jeffo, I'm sure your heart is in the right place, but I suggest calling 311 and letting the city deal with graffiti.

    If the police catch you with a spray can, they may think you are a tagger and probably won't believe you are just covering graffiti. More importantly, if an actual tagger sees you covering their work, they may consider you a rival, and you may be putting yourself in harms way. Just a thought.

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  17. Cweetbeat I am using gloss black spray paint on gloss black lampposts. I didnt explain that because I ASSUMED that most people understood that the lampposts are gloss black in color. I dare you to be able to tell where I have covered up graffiti.

    I cover up gang graffiti only. If its silly and inoffensive I leave it. I color match very well. There are those who dont even try and you see mailboxes with green/black/brown paint. I dont do that.

    I cover up graffiti on dumpsters and lightpoles and electrical boxes, all sorts of stuff. COLORED MATCHED. Most times impossible to tell, sometimes you can tell but only if it was pointed out. I know that there are alot of people who do a bad job of it.

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  18. And im glad to hear that the graffiti is gone.

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  19. CB, I wonder if the graffiti would still be lovely to behold if it was spray painted on your car or home? Or is it only nice to look at if it's found anywhere but on your personal property?

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  20. I do for the most part wicked messenger call 311 for large pieces and those pieces on bare brick, but sometimes the graffiti blasters arent going to get graffiti off of dumpsters or light poles or the parking meters, sometimes they will, alot of times not.

    There is only so much they can do. Or will do. I doubt a police officer will be pissed to see me covering up graffiti with a spray can. I have had neigbhors/garbagemen and general people cheer me on when I do it. I cover it up in the light of day in the am. No one has challanged me when I do it. Someone has to take a stand. Why give in to intimidation? I dont in my neighborhood, I am a resident of the city and an owner and always will be.

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  21. sweet beat,

    It shouldn't matter whether you think the tag is artistic or not. If it's a gang tag, it perpetuates the gang territorialism and should be removed. Also, there is no such thing as "artistic" gang tagging. It's all thuggery.

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  22. Glad it's gone already! As I've said before, these taggers are like silly little poodles pissing on a tree stump. (except they create eyesores and property damage of course)

    I think it was last year? I scrubbed 'Clam Chouder' off the garage door.

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