Milford Chronicle
MILFORD — The graffiti paint along the Mispillion Riverwalk has been bleached, scrubbed and nearly erased.
Law enforcement officials say they believe the offenders are a few elusive teens who are trying to make a statement.
"SSV" for Southside Vatos and "Goonies." the markings, are tags for national gangs, or groups of teens organized into groups with violent missions.
Neither police nor Milford High School’s dean of students believe those groups have official ties to Milford. However gang culture, glorified in rap music and by professional athletes, appeals to some teens and presents a lifestyle they try to emulate.
Gangs or not, city officials say the vandals should be stopped.
"We see it mostly in warm weather," said Lt. Steve Rust, and for the Milford police that’s might be somewhat a boon.
The city’s police department hires four seasonal officers who conduct routine bicycle and foot patrols along the Riverwalk and around town.
Funds for the additional officers ended in September.
Lt. Rust said officers working at night are encouraged to get out of their cars and walk in the area, but sometimes other demands make that nearly impossible.
"I don’t know who they are," he said of the local vandals.
"Southside Vatos is a national gang and there are kids following that type of culture, kids trying to be tough."
Darrald Gibson is dean of students at Milford High School, and he’s familiar with the group.
"The Southside Vatos have been around awhile, but the two leaders are not at Milford High School this year," he said.
School officials found one small piece of SSV penciled graffiti on the wall, but students blamed others for that graffiti.
He believes there may have been three boys associated with the group at Milford last year.
"I don’t think it’s a big group," he said.
"We haven’t had a problem in the school, but I hear about fights in the community. If you met the founder, he wouldn’t strike you as a member. He doesn’t look or act the part. He’s very polite and not defiant," Mr. Gibson said.
Like Lt. Rust, he says the gang culture is glorified by stars and the media.
"You have to explore the world of rap music. The gangster lifestyle has become something worthy of imitating among our youth."
First Ward Councilman Irvin Ambrose lives within a block of the Memorial Park portion of the Riverwalk and nearly every day he walks his dog downtown.
"It bothers me. You’re right there, right under the cameras. They need to be caught, but the dispatcher can’t see everything," he said.
"It really does bother me. It’s nonsense. I hope if we catch somebody, the judge would set the penalty to clean up the park."
He also offered to volunteer time to monitor security cameras on screens set up in the police dispatch room.
"It’s not an issue of the cameras not being watched. I don’t want to give that impression," said Lt. Rust.
He believes citizen monitoring would not be feasible because of limited space and possible access to privileged information.
Meanwhile, most of the summer’s graffiti has been removed.
Gary L. Emory, Milford’s Parks & Recreation Department director, said commercial products designed for the task make that job a bit easier.
But it’s a task he’d rather not address.
"It’s just demoralizing that people would do that in a high-impact park area," he said.
Mr. Emory says he "rides the ranch," or checks on the downtown parks every morning.
"Sometimes I see it when it’s fresh, and sometimes I get reports from someone. The parks are closed from dusk ‘til dawn for loitering. But the vandals who just walk through are doing it. We just got the basketball court resurfaced, and bam! The seem to know what is makes the most impact. I just want to make people aware of it."
