YONKERS – City officials are going to re-activate the Yonkers graffiti hotline to report the defacing or vandalism of any building structure in the city.
Residents are encouraged to call 914-377-8077 to report any knowledge they have of graffiti vandalism. If residents see any act of graffiti vandalism in progress, they are urged to call the Yonkers Police non-emergency line at 914-377-7900.
A reward of up to $500 per conviction will be awarded to any person providing information leading to the detection, arrest, and conviction of the person guilty of defacing buildings or structures, whether privately or publicly owned.
“Yonkers is a booming city on the rise, and we want to protect its beauty for all its glory, beginning with putting a stop to what reflects poorly on our city – graffiti,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “We will not tolerate it and will make sure those found violating the law are prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
Once the act of vandalism has been reported, the owner or agent of a building or structure that has been defaced by writing, painting, drawing, marking, engraving, or other forms of graffiti must restore the building or structure to a graffiti-free condition after receipt of a graffiti condition notice from the Department of Housing and Buildings and the police department.
The owner or agent will then have to correct the condition within 48 hours.
The failure of the owner to comply may subject the owner to a fine of up to $250 per offense.
Those found guilty of graffiti will be charged as either criminal or civil penalties, resulting in fines of up to $5,000 and possible imprisonment of up to 15 days.
