Anti-Graffiti Task Force Launched In Hempstead Town Amid Uptick

TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, NY — A new task force in the Town of Hempstead will take on graffiti amid an uptick in reports across the southeast corner of the township.

Hempstead Town Councilman Christopher Carini joined Supervisor Don Clavin on Thursday to announce the rollout of the township’s new 5th Councilmanic District "Graffiti Watch Task Force." The grassroots organization will provide residents in Carini's district, which includes Wantagh, Seaford, Merrick, and Bellmore, a voice in identifying and removing what officials called graffiti-induced blight. Carini organized the organization as an extension of the townwide task force led by Clavin.

"I was elected as Councilman in order to maintain our excellent quality of life here In Hempstead Town’s 5th Councilmanic District, and that includes fighting the recent uptick in vandalism tied to instances of illegal graffiti," Carini said in news release. "I am elated to have the support of the community in this endeavor along with many local leaders who have stepped forward to volunteer their time in the fight to preserve the town we know and love.”

Clavin tapped Carini to spearhead the effort largely due to his previous leadership roles in local anti-graffiti civic groups, as well as his decades of service as a police officer in the NYPD and Port Authority Police Department.

“America’s largest township is incredibly lucky to have a devoted public servant in the form of Councilman Christopher Carini," Clavin said in a statement. "Between his storied career in law enforcement, service as a civic leader, and history of always getting the job done, I can think of no better person to take the lead on tackling this issue than Chris Carini."

Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr., a member of the task force whose district recently saw multiple instances of anti-police graffiti, echoed Clavin's sentiments and praised Carini for his effort to protect quality of life.

"I am glad to have the opportunity to join Councilman Carini and members of the community in working to prevent graffiti-related vandalism in our area,” said Councilman Dunne. “This task force provides a framework for residents and township officials to work together in our shared goal of protecting our hometown.”

In organizing the task force, Carini sought out local leaders with deep roots in the community who represent a diverse array of backgrounds. This includes civic, religious and business leaders.

Community members can now report graffiti to the township for cleaning at stopgraffiti@tohmail.org.

“This is an opportunity for all people of goodwill to come together in our mission to preserve the communities we call home,” Carini said. “We’ve already hit the ground running in our mission to fight for our hometown, and I look forward to continuing that mission as we move forward.”

The task force comes days after Carini said more graffiti was found in his district. As part of the town's anti-graffiti efforts, fines were doubled for graffiti from $5,000 to $10,000 for each building or surface affected.

The complete list of task force members is below.

• Townwide
  • Gary Hudes, former Town of Hempstead councilman
• Seaford
  • Chris Schnieder (Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association)
  • Curt Schmidt (Seaford Chamber of Commerce)
  • Roberta Grogan (Seaford Harbor Civic Association)
• Wantagh
  • Kurt Faraczek (Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association)
  • Marilynne Rich and Karen Lofgren (Wantagh Chamber of Commerce)
• Bellmore
  • Legislator Steve Rhoads
  • Ameer Benno (Merrick-Bellmore Jewish Community Council)
  • Eileen Casazza and Alison Frankel (South Bellmore Civic Association)
  • Jim Spohrer (Bellmore Chamber of Commerce)
• Merrick
  • Joe Baker and Fred Jones (South Merrick Civic Community Council)
• Freeport
  • Ben Jackson and Jenn Jerome (Freeport Chamber of Commerce)
• Baldwin
  • John Cools (Town of Hempstead Sanitary District #2)
  • Erick Mahler (Baldwin Chamber of Commerce)