By Doug Black

When premeditating crime, your first concern should be getting away undetected. This consideration was clearly ignored by two particular offenders. After a previous robbery attempt, the management at 1916 Park Ave. in Harlem decided to install a closed-circuit video surveillance system. Sure enough, a man broke in shortly after and stole $500 worth of power tools. The suspected criminal, Ernest Andrews, was caught on tape filching the tools and wearing an ostentatious red sweatshirt. Pictures of the thief were passed around the building and, two days later, a couple of maintenance men  saw the very same man across the street, still wearing his trademark sweatshirt. Not wasting any time, the workers tackled Andrews, immobilized him by tying him up in his own faded shirt and waited for the police to arrive. Andrews was officially charged with burglary and criminal possession, but should also consider varying his wardrobe occasionally.

Last Thursday, Oliver Siandre, a prolific graffiti artist, pleaded guilty to felony criminal mischief for signing the name of his crew, Crazy 8, and his nickname, Kiko, across neighborhoods in Manhattan and Queens. Peter Vallone Jr., a well-known graffiti opponent and Astoria councilman, launched a massive effort to nab Siandre and recommended a punishment of three years in state prison. While the actual sentence is expected to be six months in prison and a $25,000 fine, Vallone demanded the last word and called Siandre “a graffiti punk,” adding, “All the graffiti he’ll be doing for the next six months will be on the inside of his jail cell.” Unfortunately, graffiti is also frowned upon in correctional facilities, but if Kiko does decide to revisit his hobby, he should probably focus on a form of defacement that doesn’t simultaneously provide his name and social circle.