There has been one arrest in the rising graffiti incidents around town and more may be coming.

Westfield Police Captain David Wayman said that police have arrested a 16-year-old male Westfield resident in conjunction with the graffiti incidents. He said the police are continuing to investigate the situation and believe there are more people involved.

“We believe there are more actors,” Wayman said, using the police term for individuals who are believed to be committing crimes.

Due to the suspect’s age, police cannot release his name.

Wayman said the ongoing investigation in to the graffiti incidents has showed that the incidents are likely the work of individuals in the community, but not of a gang.

“We can’t come up with any direct ties to a so called gang,” Wayman said.

A report released earlier this year by the state attorney general’s office identified 11 gang members living in Westfield, representing five gangs. At the time Wayman noted that while the gang members live in Westfield, they do not belong to gangs in the community and commute to gangs in other communities. At the time he did not identify the communities the gang members were from.

Graffiti incidents typically rise in Westfield during the summer months, when school is out. In past years, popular spots for graffiti taggings have included schools, downtown businesses, walls in Tamaques Park and the dugouts at Edison Intermediate School. The wooden fence at the Lincoln School playground has also been a popular spot for graffiti in the past.

Town graffiti observers have said they believe the summer of 2011 has been one of the worst graffiti years in Westfield history. Police blotters since June have regularly included at least one incident of graffiti.

Several weeks ago, Councilwoman Joann Neylan, the chairwoman of the public safety committee, announced that the town was offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and capture of those responsible for the graffiti. The reward is being offered through the Union County Crimestoppers program.

The 2011 graffiti incidents include a series of taggings with the letters “DPB” on street signs throughout the North Cottage Place neighborhood, with the front and back of most signs tagged in the incidents. These graffiti incidents have also included signs along Boulevard and around Jefferson School.

Brightwood Park has been a popular graffiti spot, with bridges, benches and picnic tables being tagged in the park. This included the swastika found spray painted to a tree in the park last week. The Department of Public Works painted over the graffiti and swastika last week.

Wayman said that police do not believe the graffiti incidents have gone up in 2011, noting that it is a summer crime. 

“We experience the same incidents every year,” he said.

The graffiti has led to a variety of graffiti prevention strategies being employed.

The Friends of Mindowaskin Park organization lobbied successfully a few years ago to have cameras installed in the park’s bandstand to help combat graffiti in the historic structure. Graffiti, normally in pen and pencil, continues on the bandstand.

Downtown Westfield Corporation Executive Director Sherry Cronin has been one of the town’s most ardent anti-graffiti advocates, documenting numerous cases in the downtown business district. She has said the graffiti provides a negative image for the town and has an economic impact to government and business, with a case of graffiti removal spray costing $153 a case.

Cronin has also been an active advocate on town beautification policy.

Town Recreation Director Bruce Kaufman said that while there is a security camera trained on part of the handball court wall at Memorial Park, the camera is too far away to identify those who tagged the wall with graffiti. The camera also cannot access the far side of the wall, closest to the Scotch Plains border.

He said the camera was installed primary for the playground at the park and pool complex.

Wayman said that while police continue to investigate the graffiti, he said more patrols were not likely on the issue, but rather called on residents to help police to combat graffiti.

“A large part of it comes from the help of the citizens reporting incidents,” he said.