When A Hudson Hub Request Goes No Further Than "Thank You For The Info."

For anyone wanting to let City Hall know about a problem they see or hear, there are numerous categories to choose from to make a "request" on the Hudson Hub app, from "Fences" and "Noise" to "Traffic signal."   The idea is, presumably, that if a city department agrees that your request is a problem, they'll take care of it.  But it's not always that straight forward.  Often, help is not on the way.

One issue that residents can make a request for is titled Graffiti, found under the Police Department heading.  About two months ago, just to see where it would go but not expecting action on anyone's part, I decided to let HPD know about the graffiti on the wall of the house that faces the pocket park in the 200 block of Warren that has been there for at least 18 months.  The Hub says HPD wants to know about graffiti, so I did my best.  (Boy, could I keep them busy with graffiti requests!) 

I ended my request with the following question:  "Now that you are aware of the graffiti, what will you do about it?"

Late June 2026

Here is the response I got from HPD.  "It is not the City's responsibility to remove graffiti from a building that is owned by someone else.  We are aware of the graffiti.  Thank you.

Then, soon after, HPD responded again. "Thank you for the info."

I sent another question.  "Then why do you want to be notified about graffiti if you can't do anything about it? What good is it that you are "aware of it"?  If you can't do anything about getting graffiti removed, shouldn't the request option of graffiti be removed from the Hudson Hub?

I then got another response, this one signed by "Chief Mishanda Franklin."  "To clarify, you are suggesting that a property owner be PENALIZED for being a victim of a crime?  Interesting.  I hope you plan to bring that to the lawmakers of Hudson at the next meeting."

Late June 2025

It has been just over one year since HUDseen ran a piece on the graffiti looming over the pocket park in the 200 block of Warren.  The graffiti seems to be as bright and ugly as ever.  In that piece, I described how the City of Ithaca, NY, unlike Hudson, understands the quality-of-life issue that graffiti is, how it tends to proliferate if ignored, and how they actually do something about getting it removed.  Yes, even on private property.  In Ithaca, they don't "penalize property owners for being the victim of a crime."  That's a preposterous thing to say or consider.  No, over in Ithaca they penalize property owners for not abiding by the city code.  What a novel idea!  

Ithaca gets it done; Hudson does not.  So, go ahead, let HPD know about any graffiti that bothers you, especially if it's on private property, maybe even your own.  Mishanda Franklin just might respond to you, thanking you for letting her know about it so that she can do nothing to get it removed.

Here is the HUDseen piece from a year ago: Ithaca Gets It  

(The well-done though still unwelcome graffiti shown in the lead picture appeared down by the train station early this year or late last year.  Not that HPD or "Hudson lawmakers" -- aka, the Common Council -- give a crap.)  

This traffic sign in front of Basillica got tagged about one year ago.  Think Mishanda Franklin, Rob Perry or Joe Ferris care?  (I made a Hub request about it a week ago...)

The scourge of plastic business signs that recently made their way into town and onto National Grid's utility poles -- the city's latest quality-of-life issue -- is no different than the graffiti problem that has been plaguing the city for years.  City Hall simply doesn't know what to do about it.  So, they do nothing; they don't even make an effort. Instead, it's "Thank you for the info."