First, we brought you taggings and vandalism in Clifton Park at the CDTA park and ride. Then, we reported on graffiti deteriorating the Upper Washington Avenue area of Albany; and now, Schenectady's Stockade district.
After speaking at a neighborhood watch meeting, residents voiced their concerns, saying their tired of dealing with this nuisance crime.
In an effort to help you better understand this crime, Crime Trackers reached out to a graffiti expert within the Albany Police Department. Detective Sgt. Bob Sears, says there are two types of taggers in the Capital Region. The hard core taggers and those who wish they were.
"The serious taggers, have a specific tag that they use. They form crews, go out together and tag a place. They are looking for high visibility. It's almost like a billboard, they want their product to be seen by as many people as possible."
Graffiti artists usually range in age from 12 to 30. And while, you may think it is just something they do to pass the time Sgt. Sears says it's more of an addiction than a hobby. These vandals spend hours creating scenes and murals, whether that's on a highway overpass or railroad tressel.
good news is...sears says it's unlikely the graffiti we see day in and out symbolizes gang presence.
of all the pictures we showed him...only one appeared gang related.
gangs normally go for simple taggings or numbers. More often than not, vandals are looking to tag their signature, symbol or something that is specific to them. For example, one of Albany's most notorious taggers, which we also found, is the "ouch" tagger. Sgt. Sears says, the "Ouch graffiti is done by only one person, who has put a lot of time into creating his signature design.
However, that tagging, does not signify harm or hurt.
Bottom line: The graffiti you see, however annoying, shouldn't change the way you live your life.
Those we contacted about this story believe these taggers probably will not turn into hardened criminals committing robberies or stealing cars. Their M.O. is tagging property.
So, while it may look ugly and can ruin the appearance of the neighborhood, they assure CBS 6, the graffiti you see now shouldn't make you fear for your safety.
If you have a Crime Tracker tip, e-mail us at CrimeTrackers@cbs6albany.com.
Remember, we are looking for incidents that affect your quality of life.