An ‘isolated’ incident, but one of several across the county
Swastikas were found spray painted on a vehicle in a Mineola parking garage last week, an incident the Nassau County Police Department says was “isolated” and not targeted.
The NCPD says officers responded to the public parking garage located on Main Street and First Street on Monday, Feb. 6, at 9:40 p.m. for a complaint of two swastikas spray painted on the driver and passenger side door of a parked vehicle.
This is not the first time swastikas have been reported in Mineola. Swastikas were also found drawn in the snow on Saturday, Dec. 17, outside a Fairfield Avenue residence; that incident came less than a month after the anti-Semitic symbol and racist epithets were found spray painted on Washington Avenue and Elm Street sidewalks.
But these bias incidences aren’t just happening in Mineola. According to Nassau County police, since November, swastikas have been found in various neighborhoods, made from a variety of mediums; silly string in front of an athletic field in Jericho, spray painted on a wall at Brady Park in Massapequa Park, dug into the ground at a ballfield in Levittown, carved into a cafeteria table at Carle Place High School, drawn in black marker in the bathrooms at Nassau Community College (a case in which an arrest was made) and a bathroom in a Port Washington High School.
Those who vandalize property with racist or gang related graffiti may soon face harsher penalties. The New York State Senate recently passed legislation to create stronger penalties for individuals who vandalize property with graffiti targeting someone’s religion or race, gang-related graffiti and the defacement of places of worship with graffiti.
“Destroying someone else’s property to promote gangs and encourage hate are serious crimes that deserve a more serious punishment,” said Senator Elaine Phillips, who cosponsored the legislation. “Strengthening penalties will send an important message that these despicable acts promoting violence and intolerance will not be tolerated in our communities.”
The legislation would create class E felony charges—which carry the potential of anywhere from one to three years in prison—for individuals who make graffiti promoting or encouraging gang related activities or on religious buildings, structures symbols or places of worship.
The legislation also expands the existing crime of aggravated harassment to include graffiti which is motivated by factors such as a person’s religion, race or ancestry. It would create consistency under the current law, which covers certain symbols such as swastikas, burning crosses and nooses, but not others expressing the same hateful sentiments.
Judges would be allowed to require offenders to personally clean up their mess under the measure. The legislation has been sent to the Assembly for consideration.
