I wrote a post on Sunday about an anti-Semitic sticker I found affixed to a Greenpoint pay phone (which can be seen at left). Well, it has been brought to my attention by three commenters that a number of such items (dis)grace the Garden Spot. To cite an example, bob writes:
hi, miss heather. i checked your blog this morning and saw this entry. later, i was walking up manhattan from driggs to the produce store. on the way, i saw a sticker from the same folks (or, “volk” i suppose), only this one substituted “fags” for “jews” as a gay jew living in greenpoint, my morning sure got off to a great start. it was on the window of the laundromat directly across the street from dunkin’ (the one with the red awning). before getting shooed away, i managed to rip the “fags” part off. the rest is still there, or it was when i left anyway. alas, the camera was at home.
This morning I went for a walk and documented all the stickers my commenters noted. In so doing I (unfortunately) found a hitherto undiscovered one. I made sure to note the address and/or intersection where each sticker was located. When I got home I printed out my findings, annotated them and took them tonight’s 94th Precinct Community Council Meeting. In said meeting I brought them to D.I. Fulton’s attention. My grievance was taken seriously— if not by some attendees present (a few of whom sighed, groaned and rolled their eyes). Here’s the deal:
I have been advised that moving forward I am to bring these stickers (when I find them) to the police department’s attention, be it by calling them or forwarding images (with location) to an officer who will henceforth be my “point person”. This same gentleman guaranteed there will be an investigation. In addition, D.I. Fulton told me that ripping these stickers down is perfectly legal. So there have you. All I asked in return was that he have these stickers removed stat. Mister Fulton assured me this will happen.
In other words if you, dear readers, find such stickers/hate speech on your block the NYPD has your ear. Call ‘em.
Miss Heather
UPDATE, November 17, 2009: This has been referred to the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force.
