FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Office of the Mayor, Helmin J. Caba
[email protected]
(732) 826-0290 x4005

ANTI-GRAFFITI AND VANDALISM TASKFORCE CLEANING UP THE MESS
With Mayor Caba’s initiative to tackle illegal graffiti throughout Perth Amboy

PERTH AMBOY, NJ (December 6, 2021): Mayor Helmin J. Caba, in keeping with his pledge to aggressively pursue and apprehend quality of life offenders, created the Anti-Graffiti and Vandalism Taskforce (AGVT) within the first quarter of his term. Under the guidance of the Mayor's Office and Perth Amboy Police Department, the taskforce comprises of 15 members from various city departments and community volunteers to oversee enforcement, clean-up, and education efforts regarding graffiti. The city departments included are the Perth Amboy Police, Code Enforcement, Office of Economic and Community Development, Human Services, Public Works, and the Business Improvement District. The AGVT is one of Mayor Caba’s first assembled programs working to improve by responding to residents’ quality of life of defaced and disfigured public and private property.

“I have been working closely with our Police Department to develop effective anti-graffiti programs,” said Mayor Helmin J. Caba. “Creating the Anti-Graffiti Task Force is part of a comprehensive law enforcement, cleanup, and education effort aimed at graffiti vandals. This effort is long overdue.”
“For the past seven months, the AGVT have been aggressively identifying, removing, and reporting all graffiti in Perth Amboy, and we’re getting really good at removing them fast,” said, Miguel Morales, Supervisor of General Services of the Perth Amboy Police Department and AGVT team member.

To expedite graffiti removals, AGVT uses a database management system, Spatial Data Logic (SDL), which emails the reported constituent concern directly to the departments responsible for removing it. “Our City has increased its uses of SDL to direct and record job-related functions and made sense that the Taskforce use it as well” said Joel Rosa, Administrative Analyst for the City of Perth Amboy. “SDL uses GIS mapping to pinpoint graffiti locations and integrates with mobile applications that will soon go public in the near future.”
The AGVT volunteers include the Renovation House and Hogar Crea International, who recently removed spray painted graffiti underneath the State Street Bridge and the Riverview Walkway. The NJ Station House Adjustment Program in Perth Amboy requires the juveniles to perform community service. “These clean up initiatives provide for immediate consequences that can benefit the juvenile,” said Sgt. Rafaelito Cruz, head of the Juvenile Aid Bureau. “It also offers a proactive and rehabilitative measure while holding the juvenile accountable.
AGVT seeks to implement other initiatives that will both enhance beautification efforts and stimulate community engagement. “We are in the planning stages of implementing an arts program for high school students,” said Tashi Vazquez, Assistant Director of the Office of Economic and Community Development. “Finalists could showcase their winning piece in public spaces.”
With paint donations from both Siperstein and the Perth Amboy Post Office, the AGVT has repainted over 185 mailboxes, 3 dozen park walls, 3 bridges and 2 underpasses.
Rudy Rodriguez, AGVT member and City Housing Inspector, relates a comment from a city resident. “I’ve lived here for over 10 years, and I can’t recall when the space next to my house was ever cleaned.” More volunteer cleanup events are expected to be rolled out to address city-wide areas in the Fall of 2021. “This program makes a statement that we care about our city,” said Mayor Caba. “A beautiful a city is a more successful one. It lifts our community spirit and property value.”

For more information the AGVT initiative, contact Joel Rosa at (732) 826-0290 X 4008 or by email at [email protected]

English: https://youtu.be/J5JGPBLNcj8

Spanish: https://youtu.be/B6AGvNyuK90

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