We encourage the Borough Council to follow up on Councilman Ed Komoroski’s comments about graffiti at last week’s meeting. In fact, we hope the strongest possible message about graffiti can be sent, with the strongest steps to battle it taken.
Mr. Komoroski expressed his concern over the growing appearance of graffiti on buildings, houses and traffic signs around town; he noted the graffiti paints an unflattering picture of the community for people driving through, or those considering purchasing a home here.
While much of the graffiti is the product of juvenile boredom, some of the local graffiti has a more sinister connection: As the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) noted in its “Gang Awareness Guide,” there’s often a direct link between graffiti and criminal street gangs.
Graffiti is often referred to as the “newspaper for gangs” by law enforcement officials, who note the graffiti communicates lots of information to other gang members.
”Gang members have their own language, which contains phrases, hand signs, tattoos, markings and graffiti,” the JJC’s Gang Management Unit stated in the brochure.
Local police have spotted suspected markings in recent months, which, combined with the dramatic increase of gang-related prosecutions in Somerset County, indicates it’s crucial Manville effectively thwart area gang members from using local buildings as billboards and message centers.
Normally, we’d wonder about the wisdom of enacting an ordinance requiring private property owners to maintain graffiti-free structures, as has been suggested but because there’s often a link to illegal activity it strikes us as a necessary step.
Many cities have effectively battled graffiti with ordinances, and a growing number are fighting against criminal gangs by stepping up the battle against graffiti. California recently enacted a law requiring those convicted of “graffiti vandalism” to not only clean the property they damaged, but to keep it clean for up to a year.
Enforcement often relies on neighbors, with residents expected to report graffiti to code enforcement officials or police.
Consequently, the borough should investigate the availability of funds for police enforcement to battle not just the graffiti, but also the gang members so often behind it.
For years, the battle against graffiti was an argument between property owners and artists using someone else’s property as a canvas.
But with gangs using any surface available to paint graffiti to direct or extend their illegal activities, the borough has no choice but to take extreme steps.
Mr. Komoroski is right to be concerned about the unkempt appearance of the town caused by graffiti such appearances aren’t helpful for maintaining property values.
And when compounded by potential gang activity, we should all be concerned.

