Monday, June 14, 2010

A Minor Threat

You'll know if your a regular Eye reader that our disdain for graffiti runs high.  While some has been dismissed as youthful hooliganism, experts also indicate that a proliferation of graffiti also signals an increase in gang activity.

The most heavily branded tag in the downtown area is one left behind by a tagger called "minor."  This ugly signature has become ubiquitous in and around the central business district, with the biggest insult being foisted upon the Chamber of Commerce which has had their sidewall defaced with an extra-large balloon-lettered version of the tag.

As other writers have posted, the recent upswing in graffiti is a detriment to the impression Middletown makes on residents and visitors.  Merchants, property owners and appropriate municipal departments need to be vigilant in removing graffiti to discourage the practice.  And the Eye would encourage the city, and the police department, once again, to take the problem seriously.

14 comments:

joseph getter said...

I think that graffiti can be a beautiful art form, but usually it is an ugly & destructive nuisance. The photos here don't show anything artistic (in the graffiti sense), or anything that's a commentary on politics or society. I just see thrown-up tags, the writers' names done in a hurry, to mark their turf.

Artists among the graffiti writers might like to have some places where they're allowed to create, such as designated walls, commissioned works, or some gallery space. I am sure there are some writers in our community who could take the lead in organizing and advocating for this.

However, some graffiti writers probably enjoy being vandals. It is difficult to stop them, and may pose legal hurdles for the City. Can we track or ban spray paint sales? Create a database of tags and locations? How about surveillance cameras at problem spots, as a deterrent and means of determining the spray-painters' identities?

Wikipedia has an extensive entry on graffiti: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti

Anonymous said...

I would just like to say my name is Minor and after noticing all the graffiti popping up we asked the kids in the family if they were responsible. They all looked around like did you do it?? So for the record, the Minor family in Middletown is not responsible nor do we have any understanding of the Minor defacement happening in Middletown!! Just for the record, my aunt Ms. Minor is reponsible for naming the street sweeper "Sweeping Beauty" we love Middletown and wouldn't deface the property!!

Anonymous said...

As a Main Street business owner and neighborhood resident I am ever aware of graffiti, and always remove it to the best of my ability - immediately - when someone marks a tag on or near my shop. I encourage all other businesses, residents, property owners to do so. This is one very important step for keeping 'tagging' down. I also would expect our city's municipal department to do so, but I know for the most part they don't. I feel that, as a policy, they should, actively, with vigilence, as part of the work they do to maintain our community.

I've been seeing Minor's tag everywhere lately. I hope this tagger gets caught and forced to not only remove every tag he or she wrote, but also to pay money for the damaged property and subsequent cleanup expenses they caused.

Minor: You are a childish punk doing stupid, childish things. Grow up and do something positive, constructive and cool instead. Doing so will likely impress your friends way more than your little street bragging campaign.

Jen Alexander said...

Dear Anon 11:32 am & others,

First off, a thank you to Anon 11:32 am - quick cleanup of graffiti by property owners is really helpful - when graffiti sits, it risks a re-tag - and really, it says to your customers that you just don't care (are you listening, Webster Bank, Sammy's Pizza, & those gas stations on South Main?)

The "Minor" tag is quite new in Middletown - just the past month or two. It's unusual because it is a legible printed word, instead of a symbol or set of initials...and it must take some time to print so clearly. Hard to believe that no one has seen this person stopping and writing their name (in Sharpie or in Spray Paint) on all the stop signs, electrical boxes and buildings where it now appears. I wondered if "Minor" stands for "minor vandalism" - it's starting to add up.

To everyone, as soon as you see a new tag, call dispatch at (860) 347-6941 and ask an officer to visit the graffiti and file a report. They are supposed to photograph it and keep track of the damage.

-Jen Alexander

Pearse said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pearse said...

I'm inclined to agree with Joseph Getter. Graffiti can be a very beautiful art form. Just take a look at the photographic work of this Portland resident. (most of this work is done on legal Graffiti walls in Portland. Perhaps Middletown could do something like this?)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spencercapencer/sets/72157604349278131/

Anonymous said...

Several years ago, I worked on a short documentary for the DEA on graffiti. We had an expert who could identify and translate the "code" in graffiti and went from town to town in CT translating. Scary stuff. This type of graffiti appears to be gang related. Often times this graffiti can mark territory (usually drug related)as well as violent threats against other gangs and individuals. It would be good to hear from someone in law enforcement to get their thoughts on what this rise in graffiti means. The notion that Graffiti can be a very beautiful art form just isn't it's purpose.

Anonymous said...

Make the people responable pay a hefty fine for this. Do we want this city to be like New york. Why is it kids years ago had paint cans only maybe to paint their bikes. We must teach our children to be responable citizens or they will become thugs.

Anonymous said...

To be honest, good luck, the Mid Police are slipping back into the dark days of the late 80s, overweight, lazy. There was a good few years there, but the pendulum has begun the swing back.
Section 8 is a juggernaut, the ghetto will keep expanding like a cancer. Sad but true, just don't say it.

Pearse said...

New York has a very heavy handed approach to graffiti, and it clearly hasn't worked.
As for graffiti being used as a "code", I've never heard of such a thing. Even if it's true, I'm sure cracking down on graffiti will have absolutely no effect on illegal drug use.

Anonymous said...

The difference between graffiti and tagging is that graffiti is art, incorrectly applied to unauthorized places, but art. Tagging is the words and initials we see around town. Definitely not art and being from NYC, something this community needs to take very seriously! Cover it up or remove it as fast as you can. All you have to do is keep removing it, the taggers will go elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

Ill tell you one thing, the "expert" on graffiti you supposedly talked too, is retarded, this is not dug or gang related. Did you ever think about, the photo of the bridge that goes over the train tracks, maybe that is where some of the artist are trying to go to not bother anyone in the city, and EXPRESS there artistic abilities. Maybe the city should legalize a place for these "punks" to do graffiti, just like they did with the skatepark because they didnt want kid defacing there sidewalks, WELL YOU SUPPORTED THEM! AND THEY WONT EVEN USE IT FOR MORE THAN A FEW MONTHS!

Anonymous said...

The harsh reality is that there is always going to be atleast 1 young kid painting graffiti in Middletown. You have to come to terms with the fact that you most likely aren't going to catch them, and they are never going to get a full punishment for their crimes. Take a better, more intelligent approach to this problem.. PLEASE. Focus on a solution, not the problem. When you spill milk, do you sit and stare at it, whining about it, and racking your brain on who might have spilled it? Or do you get up and go get something to clean it..

Anonymous said...

Hey guys, I write graffiti, not in your hick of a town though. Chances are that this guy is not a thugged out gangster. He could be anyone. He isn't marking his territory, he is marking where he has been. Stop being so ignorant and open your eyes. Is what hes doing actually hurting anyone? The answer is as clear as day, NO. If you catch him, you catch him, but don't act like he is a real criminal when chances are, you have a sex offender living down the road from you. Don't listen to the cops or any officials on this subject because they know nothing about it! They just want your city to look good so they look good. Chances are, this kid only writes graffiti and engages in little to no other illegal activity. Thats how they all start out. You people need to get over yourselves and realize that your not as good as you think you are. You may also think he's stupid and unintelligent. Chances are, he's going to the same college as your sons and daughters when he goes to college/if he already goes to college. Just get over it, do you read in the NY Times of graffiti problems? No, thats because they are smart enough to know that only stuck up whites get pissed off by seeing it.

Sincerely, someone that knows his stuff