Swastikas found in bathroom stalls in Seaford

Officials are condemning hatred after swastikas were discovered inscribed inside bathroom stalls Saturday afternoon at Cedar Creek Park in Seaford.

Three swastikas had been carved into the walls of the men’s bathroom when police were called to Cedar Creek Park on Merrick Road. No arrests have been made so far.

State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) and County Legislator Steven Rhoads (R-Bellmore) condemned the acts.

“I’m horrified by the latest discovery of antisemitic vandalism on Long Island,” said Kaplan. “I’m disgusted that once again it was found in a public park where children and families should be able to enjoy themselves without being confronted by vile displays of hatred.”

She said residents deserved to live in neighborhoods free of “this garbage.” She added she supports the police in their quest to identify the perpetrators.

Kaplan also urged County Executive Bruce Blakeman to ensure that every county facility is regularly checked for vandalism or graffiti.

Rhoads said the acts disgusted him.

“Incidents like this hateful imagery are completely unacceptable anywhere, particularly unacceptable here in one of our county parks,” he said. “Because it’s a well-traveled park, we want to make sure that imagery is removed immediately so that others would not see it and be influenced by it.”

This is the latest instance of antisemitism on Nassau County’s South Shore. There were incidents of hateful fliers being placed around residential areas in August and July. The far-right Proud Boys held a march in Rockville Centre in May.

A recent Anti-Defamation League report said New York continues to lead American cities in recorded antisemitic incidents. In 2021, the 416 occurrences reported made up a 24% increase over the 336 instances the organization recorded in 2020. It accounted for 15% of all reported antisemitic events nationwide.

Officials urge anyone with information on the incident to contact Nassau Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.