Culture

NYPD, Bloomberg Have Banksy in Their Crosshairs

"[I]t may be art, but it should not be permitted."

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Banksy may be the hero Gotham deserves, but he's not the one it needs right now, or something, according to the NYPD, which is making his arrest a top priority. The department's legendary Vandal Squad, which aggressively pursues graffiti artists, is reportedly on the hunt for Banksy. "They want to question him in connection with the vandalism," one law-enforcement source tells the Post. "If they catch him, he will be charged with vandalism."

At a press conference yesterday, Bloomberg signaled that Banksy is, and should be, in the NYPD's crosshairs. "Graffiti does ruin people's property and it's a sign of decay and loss of control," the mayor said. "Art is art, and nobody's a bigger supporter of the arts than I am. I just think there are some places for art and there are some places [not for] art. And you running up to somebody's property or public property and defacing it is not my definition of art. Or it may be art, but it should not be permitted. And I think that's exactly what the law says."