Video: Lichtenstein Raises Graffiti Incident at Committee Meeting

[Video below.] At last night’s Lakewood, NJ, Township Committee meeting, one of the issues addressed was the complaint of a local resident in the Ridge Avenue area who received a summons from the Lakewood Inspection Department for graffiti sprayed on her home.

The matter was raised by Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein, who told the other committee members and Mike Sacamano of the Inspection Department that this resident’s home was sprayed with gang-related graffiti two times, forcing the resident to personally clean it off, which is not an easy task. This last time, the resident hadn’t had an opportunity to do so and was slapped with a summons.

Lichtenstein questioned whether this is fair. In addition to cracking down and trying to apprehend those involved in such vandalism, said Lichtenstein, perhaps the Township could, in some way, assist residents who are victims of such a crime in cleaning off the graffiti so that they are not on the receiving end of a summons.

Lichtenstein recommended that the Township perhaps utilize individuals required to perform community service and make it part of a community service program to assist in the cleanup of such graffiti.

Mayor Steven Langert took a different approach, question why it is the Township’s responsibility to clean graffiti on one’s home any more than it would be responsible to fix a window that was broken by vandals. It was suggested by Mayor Langert to increase police patrols in the Ridge Avenue area.

Click below for a video of the exchange at the Lakewood Township Committee Meeting:

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See below for various photos of graffiti sprayed aroung Lakewood:

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 {Dovid Bernstein-Matzav.com Newscenter}