'Make America White Again,' Swastikas Spray-Painted on Long Island Sidewalks

Nassau Police are investigating the spraying of racist graffiti on residential sidewalks in Mineola as hate crimes.

On Nov. 30, residents on Washington Street and Elm Place woke up to find "Make America White Again" spray-painted on their sidewalk, along with swastikas and racial slurs against black and Middle Eastern residents.

Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun of the Nassau County Police Department said the Third Precinct and the Anti-Bias Taskforce are investigating.

"[The graffiti] is not acceptable to the people and residents of Nassau County," he said at a press conference Monday afternoon.

"Make America White Again" is a spin-off of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."

A Facebook post that includes photos of the graffiti has been shared more than 1,200 times and has more than 200 comments. Some blamed Hilary Clinton supporters for the vandalism, saying that they were trying to incite people against Trump.

The Mineola graffiti was reported to police on Nov. 30 and occurred sometime between 11 p.m. Nov. 29 and 9 a.m. Nov. 30. The reason the police waited so long to speak publicly about it, LeBrun said, was because they didn't want to hamper the investigation and spur on any copycat crimes.

Also revealed at the Monday press conference was three occurrences of hate-filled graffiti that occurred in Garden City Park in early November. According to LeBrun, that graffiti was targeted against white people. He would not say where in Garden City Park the bias graffiti was found.

Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from Garden City who represents Mineola, had strong words for the person responsible for the graffiti.

"To the person who spray-painted swastikas and ‘Make America White Again’ on a sidewalk in Mineola: You are not clever, you are not tough. You are a coward," she said in a release Monday night. "If you have something you want to say, then come forward, turn yourself in to the police, and show your family, your friends and your neighbors who you are.

"I won’t hold my breath waiting for President-elect Trump to condemn people using his campaign slogan to intimidate people of color," she continued. "It’s up to every one of us to call out this kind of language and behavior wherever we encounter it, and it’s up to every one of us to show that we are grateful to live in such a diverse district, state and country."

Since November's election, there have been hundreds of hate crimes reported across the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center recorded 867 hate crimes in the 10 days after the election. It's likely only a small fraction; it's estimated that two thirds of hate crimes go unreported.

According to LeBrun, Nassau County has recorded 48 bias incidents since January, which he said is about the average. The NCPD has not seen much of an uptick in hate crimes since the election on Nov. 8.

"We're always concerned about derogatory comments and hate crimes," LeBrun said. "It's reprehensible."

RELATED: Acts of Hatred, Racism Come in Immediate Aftermath of Donald Trump's Election

New York had the second-highest rate of hate crimes recorded in the SPLC report, with 69. California topped the list with 99. Last week a Muslim woman from Long Island was attacked by a trio of white, male 20-somethings who shouted "Donald Trump!" and tried to remove her hijab, according to the New York City Police Department.

And just Monday morning, a uniformed off-duty Muslim New York City Transit employee on her way to work was assaulted by a male passenger at Grand Central Terminal. After exiting the 7 train in the station, the suspect allegedly called the station agent a "terrorist" and pushed her down the stairs, injuring both her ankle and knee.

KKK business cards and flyers were also distributed at the Hampton Bays and Patchogue Long Island Rail Road stations last week.

“This is the great state of New York – we welcome people of all cultures, customs and creeds with open arms," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Monday. "We do not allow intolerance or fear to divide us because we know diversity is our strength and we are at our best when we stand united."

Photos used with permission