Police arrest New Castle County's no. 2 graffiti artist

Police have arrested a man they believed to be the No. 2 graffiti artist in New Castle County.

Derrick Noel, 19, of Wilmington, was arrested on 128 criminal counts of graffiti after an officer found graffiti paraphernalia in the trunk of his car.

Senior Lt. Michael McGowan of the New Castle County Police Department said Noel was apprehended when Cpl. Michael Hopkins spotted a suspicious vehicle and questioned the occupants. When police approached the car, officers spotted a baseball bat inside the vehicle and asked the occupants why they were carrying it.

The suspects told the officer it was for protection and were asked to place the bat in the trunk, McGowan said.

When the occupants opened the trunk, Hopkins found 172 spray cans and a photo album with pictures of graffiti, McGowan said.

LaVincent Harris, a New Castle County Police detective, said much of the graffiti was done on CSX train cars, Conrail trains, overpasses, underpasses, bridge supports, rooftops and fences.

"Any kind of surface - he's been there," Harris said.

He said he had been searching for Noel and his crew of graffiti artists for five years.

"They're hard to catch," he said. "I had regular duties as well, so if I went on a midnight shift I would go looking for them, but it's not easy."

According to the New Castle Police Department, Noel was charged with 128 counts, 32 of which were felonies, and the Delaware State Police charged him with an additional five. Harris explained that felony charges exist when the damage caused by graffiti exceeds $1,500.

"For 45 minutes worth of spray painting, he's doing $3,000 worth of damage," Harris said.

Lt. Brian Henry of the Newark Police Department said tags, the trademark image of an individual graffiti artist, are not seen repeatedly in the city.

"Tags seem to appear in bunches within a short period of time, as if the taggers are out on a spree," Henry said. "With quick clean up or removal as recommended by the police department, the tags are not left to be seen for any length of time."

He said all graffiti artists in Newark are pursued equally. There are an average of five arrests in Newark per year for graffiti offenses.

Harris said Noel was released on a secured bail of $128,000.

"The judge wanted to send a message to Noel, because the repeated nature of the crimes," he said. "In order to let him know it was a serious matter and that people are concerned about graffiti."

Harris said there are locations in Camden, N.J. and Philadelphia where graffiti artists can legally spray-paint an entire mural

"When they're into art, they're going to continue to be interested in it," he said. "The problem is to transition from spraying on the side of someone's business to finding somewhere legal."

Harris said he tries to encourage the graffiti artists to use their talents in a productive way.

"Even though I arrest them, I always encourage them to develop their art," he said.

Henry said there are other ways for graffiti artists to express themselves.

"There are numerous outlets for people with artistic talent, including well-paying professional positions," he said. "Their artistic talent can be used to their advantage, rather than being used for criminal acts which potentially have a negative impact on their futures."