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By Vanessa Ogle
Brooklyn Daily
There is more vitriolic verbiage defacing in Sheepshead Bay.
Some of the most menacing messages are scrawled on the side of a vacant medical center on Ocean Avenue, between Voorhies Avenue and Shore Parkway— painted in bright red and bold black.
But the politically charged posts — with messages calling Democrats “anti-white traitors” and phrases like “close the border” — don’t represent the area’s red or blue voters, said a local elected official.
“I’ve spoken to Republicans who are against the way the message is being sent,” said Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D–Sheepshead Bay). “It does not matter if you’re a Republican or Democrat — the vehicle is wrong.”
Graphic graffiti has tarnished the area before. In October, graffiti on an overpass that said “Democrats destroy America” and called for the impeachment of President Obama was removed after Cymbrowitz reported the rude writings.
There have been two complaints to 311 about the graffiti on Ocean Avenue — and one dates back to August. But because it is a private building — and not a city property, like the overpass — Cymbrowitz said it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure the graffiti is removed.
“It would be the private owner who would work with that,” he said, upset that someone is defacing the neighborhood. “It is really sad that there seems to be somebody who feels that the best way to get his message across is through graffiti.”
A member of a neighborhood civic association said that while he has seen an improvement with graffiti cleanup crews’ responses to incidents, the widespread writings are ruining the neighborhood.
“It is embarrassing to live in a neighborhood with graffiti,” said Tom Paolillo. “Graffiti is offensive, no matter what it is.”