Friday, April 26, 2013
Graffiti is a longstanding problem.
It was only matter of time. But the recently completed Atlanta BeltLine bridge has been tagged with graffiti. The bridge, which crosses Ponce near the Ponce City Market, was rebuilt last year as part of the BeltLine Eastside Trail development. "Since we built the BeltLine Eastside Trail, for close to a year now, it has been graffiti-free," Ethan Davidson, spokesman for Atlanta BeltLine Inc., told East Atlanta Patch. "We are trying to get it removed as quickly as possible." Davidson also said the organization is working on taking additional measures to make it hader for taggers to hit the bridge and other grafitti magnets along the trail. Graffiti has been a longstanding problem in Old Fourth Ward, Little Five Points and Downtown. The …
Friday, December 28, 2012
Zachary Kahn faces four felony and six misdemeanor charges.
Atlanta police said Friday they arrested a man they say is responsible for a string of graffiti taggings along Georgia Avenue in Summerhill. Zachary Kahn, 21, was arrested Dec. 27 on four felony and six misdemeanor arrests. Kahn, who, according to the police, tags under the name "ptosis," is responsible for more than 100 instances of vandalism in Fulton and DeKalb counties. Brad Etterle, the Atlanta Police Department’s graffiti abatement officer, arrested Kahn after tying him to several acts of vandalism. That investigation linked Kahn to the tag "ptosis," a Greek word referring to the drooping or falling of the eyelid. The Summerhill taggings were all on Georgia Avenue and Reed Street: All of the Summerhill properties are owned by the …
Friday, September 28, 2012
Cory Harris, AKA "CUR" is connected to more than 70 incidents of graffiti vandalism in Atlanta, police say.
A local man has been arrested and is in the DeKalb County Jail after Atlanta police say they saw him "tagging" train cars in the CSX rail yard near Seaboard Avenue in Atlanta on Sept. 11, authorities said Thursday. Atlanta police said Cory Harris, 21, was arrested by officers from APD Zone 6 who witnessed Harris “tagging” the train cars. He is connected to more than 70 incidents of graffiti vandalism in the city of Atlanta. Harris, who is from an unspecified part of the Stone Mountain area, was charged with criminal trespass and obstruction of officers. Atlanta Police obtained arrest warrants in Fulton and Dekalb counties. Through a search warrant, police found evidence linking Harris with the "CUR" moniker, they said. Harris faces …
Monday, July 16, 2012
Neighbors come together for painting project.
Like many Atlanta neighborhoods, Boulevard Heights does its part to keep graffiti at bay. This past Saturday, several Boulevard Heights residents — along with some help from at least one Grant Park citizen — spent the day painting over the trestle on East Confederate Avenue SE and the bridge supports. Zach Juno, who organized the painting project said its all about showing that the people who live in the neighborhood care about it and are proud of it. "I am committed to making this neighborhood better than when I found it. Boulevard Heights shines with neighborhood pride," Juno said. "When people drive through our neighborhood, I want them to see that we care about where we live. "I admit that I smile every time I drive under the trestle…
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Painting over graffiti on trestle is target.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Sunday, July 15, 2012
by Patch Staff Volunteers are wanted for a painting project that will take place today at 9 a.m. of the entire trestle on East Confederate Avenue. Zach Juno, project organizer, has 15 gallons of mahogany red wine colored paint for the efforts. There's an additional five gallonsof gray paint to cover graffiti on the bridge supports. Volunteers are asked to bring rollers, pans and brushes. Anyone with questions may call Juno at 404.427.1100.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Old Fourth Ward, Downtown residents meet new officer tasked with graffiti control.
Atlanta Police Department Officer Brad Etterle, the new graffiti abatement officer, began making the rounds last week to meet with neighborhood associations. Etterle, who met with the neighborhoods of Neighborhood Planning Unit-M last week, is APD's enforcement arm of the Mayor’s Graffiti Task Force. The Graffiti Task Force was formed to deal with the graffititha has been a nuisance in many in-town neighborhoods, incuding Old Fourth Ward. Etterle, who joined APD in 2008, replaced Officer Ari Bleifeld. Bleifeld is now part of APD’s APEX Unit, which specializes in identifying and targeting violent crime trends throughout the city. If you see graffiti vandals in progress:
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Officer Brad Etterle replaces Office Ari Bleifeld, who is has been promoted to APD's APEX Unit.
The Atlanta Police Department said Tuesday it named Officer Brad Etterle its new graffiti abatement officer. As the graffiti abatement officer, Etterle will represent the enforcement arm of the Mayor’s Graffiti Task Force. The Graffiti Task Force, part of the city's focus on so-called nuisance and quality of life crimes, is charged with stemming graffiti and arresting taggers who deface public and private property. Etterle, who joined APD in 2008, replaces Office Ari Bleifeld, whom APD officials said was key to the department's aggressive targeting of graffiti taggers. He arrested seven repeat graffiti vandals after months of investigation last fall. Six of them were convicted on city charges in Atlanta Municipal Court, including two who …
Thursday, June 7, 2012
President of the Fourth Ward Alliance, Sutherland discusses how a low-level crime has high economic impact on O4W and revitalizing neighborhoods in general.
Graffiti tagging around Atlanta has been a push-'n-pull battle of sorts for residents of the Old Fourth Ward. On Wednesday, the neighborhood, along with other communities suffering the ills of spray painting vandals got a chance to push back against two taggers who pled guilty to series of property destruction charges. While many communities have been wrestling with graffiti, some like Reynoldstown, Cabbagetown and Old Fourth Ward, three communities with major commercial corridors, have been at the front line of the ongoing battle. As Kit Sutherland, president of the Fourth Ward Alliance put it, the presence of graffiti sends the wrong message about what's acceptable and what's not. It explains why Sutherland and other Old Fourth Ward …
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
"Beav" and "Vomet" negotiated plea deals that include probation, thousands in fines and restitution.
Douglas Grantham Jones and Christopher Erik Smith — long the source of aggravation for the intown neighborhoods of Old Fourth Ward, Virginia-Highland, Inman Park and Poncey-Highland — pleaded guilty to graffiti and destruction of property Wednesday. The two, known as "Beav" and "Vomet," respectively, appeared before Chief Judge Crystal A. Gaines in Atlanta Municipal Court Wednesday afternoon. Gaines ordered the pair pay thousands in restitution to their victims, additional fines and court costs and that they serve probation in a sentencing hearing that lasted about 30 minutes. Specifically, Gaines ordered that: The guilty pleas were entered under a negotiated deal between their attorney, Daniel Kane, and Erika D. Smith, the senior …
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
One alleged tagger accepts negotiated plea deal.
Two alleged serial graffiti vandals are expected to appear in court June 6th. Douglas Grantham Jones, 19, and Christopher Erik Smith, 29 — are charged with multiple counts of violating the city ordinance on graffiti abatement and destruction of property. Jones uses the tag "Beav," police say, while Smith uses the tag "Vomet." Jones' attorney, has accepted a negotiated plea deal, though specifics of that agreement have not yet been released. He is expected to be sentenced on June 6th. Smith's trial is expected to begin then, as well. Atlanta Police Department graffiti officials are encouraging those property owners who have been affected to attend the proceedings to give their impact statements during Jones' sentencing. Graffiti is a …
Rodney
2:15 am on Saturday, April 27, 2013
Péralte Paul ask the judges to up the fines if they did 10k dollars in damages make them pay 10k dollars. As it stands now if you do 100k dollars in damages you pay 3k dollars in fines. Mr Péralte Paul yes the fight can be won! The real question is how much has the city spent on removing graffiti and tags so far? And how much damage have the taggers done to Atlanta so far? My guess with the city … more ›