They won’t take the hate.
The Police Department must track down the bigots who scrawled racist, anti-Chinese graffiti at various sites throughout Bensonhurst, demanded local leaders and Borough President Adams, who said the vulgar vandalism — which was mass-produced across the neighborhood using spray paint and a stencil — bore all the hallmarks of a hate crime, and must be prosecuted as such.
“This was a pre-meditated action to identify a group and treat them in a disparaging, negative fashion — that to me says hate crime all over it, and that crime needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Adams said on Monday, when he revealed he’s offering a $1,000 reward for tips that lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible.
The stenciled black paint left a profane message — “Chinese C—- Stink Like Fish” — displayed at various locations in the neighborhood.
A Police Department rep told this newspaper that its Hate Crime Task Force is investigating three of the graffiti incidents — at a Chinese market on 86th Street at Bay 25th Street, on a column on 86th Street across from Bay 26th Street, and outside a New Utrecht Avenue funeral home between 85th and 86th streets — as possible bias incidents.
A rep for Councilman Mark Treyger (D–Coney Island) said he saw the same grotesque graffiti scrawled at no less than seven locations.
Police later released a video believed to show the perpetrator stenciling the vulgar message on the wall of a 20th Avenue supermarket between 85th and 86th streets around 2:30 am on Aug. 4, and are asking the public’s help in identifying him.
Treyger and Assemblyman William Colton (D–Bensonhurst) joined Adams to denounce the graffiti at the rally, along with reps from the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn. Treyger condemned the “disgusting, hateful behavior” on social media, writing that the neighborhood’s strength is found in its diversity.
“We celebrate our diversity in this community, and your disgusting behavior will not be tolerated,” Treyger tweeted to the unknown perpetrators.
Colton called on the community to unite against such racism, and pledged to make sure this incident becomes an opportunity to bring locals together, rather than let it tear them apart.
“All must unite together to protect our neighborhood and all its families from such conduct,” the assemblyman said. “I will work to bring us together to ensure this attack on our neighborhood will not divide us but will make us all the more determined to work together for a better and safer neighborhood for all our families.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
