Throughout the book, a fast-paced recollection of Rivera's years in law enforcement that also profiles infamous taggers and their once-ubiquitous images, the author candidly writes about being “addicted to graffiti” while detailing his unit’s see-saw relationship with figures in the graffiti world during a turbulent era in the city’s history. At the conclusion of a useful glossary section, Rivera mentions: “Graffiti should be displayed in galleries and on canvasses, not on public property.” This prescription has the feeling of an afterthought, though – leaving the reader with the feeling that the author not only shares with his subjects (and targets) a common fascination with graffiti, but an interest in preserving some semblance of street credibility.
- Curtis Stephen
