Marks, PHIA Respond to Rash of Graffiti
Patch received statements from County Councilman David Marks and the Perry Hall Improvement Association.
Graffiti is a growing problem in Perry Hall. Regarding this issue, Patch received the following statements from community leaders.
District 5 County Councilman David Marks:
There has been a rash of graffiti throughout Perry Hall over the past month, primarily at our shopping centers. It is definitely a blight on the community, and personally infuriating to me.
Our office has been in touch with Captain Balog at the White Marsh precinct regarding the situation, and I'm glad that the police precinct's Crimes and Investigative Services Unit is exploring many leads to apprehend those responsible. The [police] contact we were given was Marcie Schwartz at 410-887-5035, if people know of any further information.
Dennis M. Robinson, Jr., Perry Hall Improvement Association president:
Graffiti is primarily an aesthetic problem because it has the potential to create the perception that a community is deteriorating, but we know that is not the case in Perry Hall. In fact, if you look around Baltimore County or any other jurisdiction, you would be hard pressed to find an area where people care more about their community. Graffiti is also a financial problem because it costs property owners and government agencies money to clean it up.
Another common misconception is that graffiti is a sign of gang activity in an area. In the case of Perry Hall, the problem is not gangs. The problem is young people with too much time on their hands who do not know how to use their time productively.
The PHIA works closely with Captain Balog to report “tagging” and other graffiti. I encourage residents who see graffiti on private property to report it to the police by calling the non-emergency number, 410-887-2222. If residents see graffiti on a street sign or other public property, they can e-mail the PHIA at perryhallmail@gmail.com, and I will pass the information along to the police.
Channeling information about graffiti on public property through the PHIA minimizes the chance that the police will receive multiple calls about the same location. The police have resources available to them to identify the graffiti “artists,” and I suspect we will see a reduction in graffiti in the near future.
More information on graffiti in Perry Hall can be found in these Patch articles:
Graffiti Vandals Strike Perry Hall Businesses
Who Should You Call About Graffiti?
Comment if you're tired of graffiti in Perry Hall.
Tell us in the comments.
Jim21236
11:16 am on Thursday, January 13, 2011
Mr. Marks - Big deal - paint over the grafitti and go fix our county budget problems with your fellow council! How about getting to work on Pension reform?
David Marks
11:46 am on Thursday, January 13, 2011
I'm sorry you think it's not an issue. Other people disagree.
Dennis Robinson,Jr.
12:01 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
I commend Councilman Marks for helping to draw attention to this important issue. I have received several inquiries from residents concerned about graffiti in the community, and I am glad to see it is receiving attention at this level. Graffiti is a significant quality-of-life issue and and an economic issue that can be solved by cooperation among residents, businesses, police, elected officials and the appropriate government agencies.
Jim21236
12:32 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
I think grafitti is an issue. It's an issue for the police, property owners and the community association. We elect a councilman to speak out about the reform issues you campaigned on:
* Pension reform
* Spending cuts
* Drug Activity in PH neighborhoods - Seven Courts, Chapeltowne
Haven't seen a word from you on these - just grafitti, bicycle routes and signs being torn down that were already paid for??
Matthew Davis
7:11 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
Matt 21128
Isn't wonderful that Patch is a sounding board for the community... You are concerned about pension reform, how about grouping that with spending cuts. Last time I looked, my company wasn't handing out a pension, and the government takes enough of my money that I'll never have a pension. I think graffiti is a hot topic that needs the public's attention, I am glad that we have a Councilman who is concerned about our communities. I think drug activity (alcohol and drugs) is probably related to the graffiti issue.
Bill Murray
8:34 am on Friday, January 14, 2011
Councilman Marks & the PHIA are responding to the specific issue of graffiti in the Perry Hall area in this article. This IS a major concern for me & my neighborhood since it is everywhere on fences, buildings, businesses. We do not live in some slum area! This is Perry Hall!
I appreciate full court press from everyone (Police, Councilman Marks, PHIA, PH Community) to help solve this issue.