Graffiti vandals are targeting Fort Myers with cans of spray paint as mysterious symbols and letters are popping up all across the city, specifically downtown and even in some prominent places.Picture after picture reveals vandals are painting the town.Bobby James was visiting Fort Myers from Chicago and said he thought the city was beautiful until he saw all the graffiti around town.”It pisses me off, to be quite frank! Yeah, it really rummages up the town a little bit,” James said.He fears the graffiti could send the wrong message to visitors like him.”I think its biggest priority to maybe clean this up and give a more safe and welcoming feel,” James said.NBC2 alerted FMPD about a prominent graffiti symbol displayed prominently on a building just across from the old Edison Theater downtown along Hendry Street.The next day, it appeared to have been power washed off of the building. Attorney Scot Goldberg has seen the vandalism firsthand.”We’ve had it on our building. We’ve had it on the building across the street and the bar across the next door,” Goldberg said.The former prosecutor who once investigated these types of crimes believes that small gangs are responsible for some graffiti.”I think you have young gangs who come down here at night and do certain things after the party is over,” Goldberg stated.NBC2 asked FMPD for an interview on the matter, but we did not hear back.Terry Miller, a downtown business owner, believes the city’s cameras could catch the vandals.”There are cameras on every street corner downtown, and it gives the city the opportunity to see what is happening and identify who is doing it,” Miller explained.Miller spotted the graffiti outside of his downtown office building.”It’s certainly not the image the city wants. We have a beautiful downtown. It’s packed with people day and night now, and this isn’t what people come down here to see,” he stated.Anyone who spots graffiti on a wall, a dumpster, or a building should report it to police.
Graffiti vandals are targeting Fort Myers with cans of spray paint as mysterious symbols and letters are popping up all across the city, specifically downtown and even in some prominent places.
Picture after picture reveals vandals are painting the town.
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Bobby James was visiting Fort Myers from Chicago and said he thought the city was beautiful until he saw all the graffiti around town.
“It pisses me off, to be quite frank! Yeah, it really rummages up the town a little bit,” James said.
He fears the graffiti could send the wrong message to visitors like him.
“I think its biggest priority to maybe clean this up and give a more safe and welcoming feel,” James said.
NBC2 alerted FMPD about a prominent graffiti symbol displayed prominently on a building just across from the old Edison Theater downtown along Hendry Street.
The next day, it appeared to have been power washed off of the building. Attorney Scot Goldberg has seen the vandalism firsthand.
“We’ve had it on our building. We’ve had it on the building across the street and the bar across the next door,” Goldberg said.
The former prosecutor who once investigated these types of crimes believes that small gangs are responsible for some graffiti.
“I think you have young gangs who come down here at night and do certain things after the party is over,” Goldberg stated.
NBC2 asked FMPD for an interview on the matter, but we did not hear back.
Terry Miller, a downtown business owner, believes the city’s cameras could catch the vandals.
“There are cameras on every street corner downtown, and it gives the city the opportunity to see what is happening and identify who is doing it,” Miller explained.
Miller spotted the graffiti outside of his downtown office building.
“It’s certainly not the image the city wants. We have a beautiful downtown. It’s packed with people day and night now, and this isn’t what people come down here to see,” he stated.
Anyone who spots graffiti on a wall, a dumpster, or a building should report it to police.