The Department of Sanitation oversees graffiti removal services throughout the city.

It sends out "Graffiti Free NYC" trucks that are equipped with seven different paint colors to do so.

“Anywhere where there's graffiti that they need us, will get out there,” said Frank Lettera, deputy chief of DSNY. Lettera tells News 12 his team visits sites of 311 service requests for graffiti.

It gets permission from the building owner to cover the graffiti up, then it gets to work.

In most cases, spray painting over the graffiti will suffice, but sometimes it has to power wash it off if a building isn’t painted.

In 2024, DSNY closed almost 1,700 service requests for graffiti in the Bronx.

So far this year, DSNY has closed 350 service requests in the borough.

Leterra said he appreciates the beauty of graffiti, but wants graffiti artists to keep it in a book. He said vandalizing private property is not the answer.

DSNY encourages New Yorkers to submit 311 complaints for any graffiti they’d like to see covered up.

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