Mount Alumnus Presents at ParaMount Perspectives Speaker Series
11/3/2015
Detective Kenneth Davis ’79 presents “Art or Vandalism?”
Riverdale, N.Y. – Mount alumnus and detective from the anti-gang unit of the Yonkers Police Department, Kenneth Davis ’79, discussed the relationship between graffiti, art, and crime, as well as his experience working on the streets of Yonkers, in a presentation titled, “Art or Vandalism?” at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. Part of the College’s acclaimed ParaMount Perspectives Speaker Series, the lecture was held Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 4 p.m. in Maryvale 101.
Detective Davis works as a gang and narcotics investigator, and graffiti expert for the anti-gang division of the Yonkers Police Department. He received a B.S. degree in Arts Education K through 12 from the University of Mount Saint Vincent following his graduation from Yonkers Public Schools and after receiving an A.A.S. Degree from Sullivan Community College. He later earned an M.S. degree in Human Resources Management from Mercy College.
His interactive presentation at the Mount, engaging students to test their knowledge on graffiti and gang culture, was a telltale sign of Detective Davis’ role prior to starting his life in law enforcement. He worked as a teacher in the New York and Yonkers’ education systems. He joined the Yonkers Police Department in 1985 as a community affairs officer and law enforcement instructor and assisted in street gangs and graffiti vandalism reduction. Eight years later, he co-founded the Off the Wall Graffiti Program, meant to raise awareness and increase education about HIV/AIDS.
Since the early 1990s, Detective Davis has immersed himself in the study of graffiti and gang research. Additionally, he has presented at and attended numerous gang and graffiti-related conferences sponsored by law enforcement and civilian agencies, including annual conferences at the National Gang Research Center in Chicago, which have helped hone his knowledge of gang culture and his skills to recognize and develop techniques to identify the authors of graffiti.
The ParaMount Perspectives Speaker Series connects students with today’s thought leaders, allowing them to gain industry knowledge and unique career insights firsthand. For more information, please visit: mountsaintvincent.edu/paramount.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.