Graffiti, a major problem in Gloucester City

City resident Bill Waters is concerned about the increasing amount of graffiti that he is seeing throughout the community. He is asking residents to call police and report anyone who they see vandalizing property. "Help stop this problem before it is too late. If one witnesses graffiti being done, he/she could take a quick picture of the crime with a cell phone".

He submitted 40 plus photos along with the letter below. Waters pointed out that the photos in the album were limited in range to less than a quarter of the town's area. The utility box pictured is located at Broadway and Monmouth Street across from the City's Municipal Building.

Do you have a TIP? Or a problem in your neighborhood that you would like to see corrected? Send the information to [email protected]

Bill,

I'm very concerned over the rash of new graffiti spread about Gloucester City in just click link to continue

 

the last few months.

The demise of Fairview did not start with boarded up homes and drive-bys and the subsequent closing of even WaWa and the collapse of real estate values.  It all started with litter and graffiti.

Photo: retaining wall on Nicholson Road, click to enlarge

When graffiti isn't removed it sends the signal that nobody is watching, nobody cares.

I have, over the last few months, talked to four individuals involved in local government, and they have all been polite and have agreed we have a growing problem.  Unfortunately, however, they have done nothing. 

The mayor has talked of tougher laws, but how many of these lowlife "artists" ever get caught. 

There are simple steps that can be taken:  alert the public, encourage them to get involved and call 911 when they witness this criminal and destructive mischief, offer rewards for info leading to arrests, and--supremely important--remove or paint over the graffiti within days of the offense.  This helps remove the "artist's" motivation.

Yesterday, I thought I'd try out my new digital camera, so I rode about town to document the worst examples of our graffiti problem.  In a little over an hour, I took over forty photos.

Photo taken on Nicholson Road across from D and N Machine Co. click to enlarge

I made an extra CD for you, in hope that you could draw attention to this serious problem.  Many of the shots I took were at key locations about the city, especially a few of its entrances. 

Others are right around the center of town, behind the office of the Gloucester City News, and several just across from the mayor's home on Monmouth Street and still more in Gloucester Heights.
 
Bill Waters, of Gloucester City.....SEE PHOTO ALBUM/photos by Bill Waters