KKK Flyers Distributed in Westhampton Beach; Resident Calls for Action

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — Westhampton Beach residents got a disturbing message this weekend when they found KKK flyers distributed in their driveways.

According to Westhampton Beach Village Police, officers responded to a Beach Lane residence on Sunday at 1:08 p.m. In addition, the Westhampton Beach Police Department received a second, walk-in complainant at Westhampton Beach headquarters, at 3 p.m. from another Beach Lane resident; both complaints involved receiving a flyer inside a plastic, resealable bag, found in respective driveways. The flyer depicted it was from the KKK, police said.

"There is no crime at this time as the incident falls under freedom of speech; however, the throwing of the bags on private property can be portrayed as littering in the village code," police said.

Westhampton Beach Police detectives are investigating the incidents.

Police asks that anyone with more information to please contact the detectives office at 631-288-3444.

The KKK flyer was also forwarded by the Westhampton Beach Police Department to Suffolk County Police Hate Crimes for intelligence gathering.

Resident Alison Akant, who works as a diversity consultant, lives on Beach Lane and said her husband drove into the driveway Sunday when he noticed a little sandwich sized baggie containing colorful rocks and a flyer from the KKK.

The flyer states that "Black Lives Matter, Black Panthers are telling followers to kill white people and police officers in the name of justice" for the killing of black individuals by police officers in the line of duty. The flyer states that the black individuals "were not innocent, they were thugs breaking the law and standing up against police."

The flyer also lists a North Carolina-based phone number. When called, that number connects to a recording by the KKK, urging individuals to go to the KKK website, the Loyal White Knights of the KKK.

Akant said she was deeply troubled by the flyer. "I had a house full of children and family members. We were all very disturbed by this; we've never seen anything like it before."

The group discussed the matter and decided they wanted to be sure community leaders and police were made aware; they called the local media and the police, she said.

Akant said her daughter expressed their concerns best: "I'm wondering whether there are any actions that the police are considering to protect the safety of community, particularly those historically targeted by a message like this, the African American community. We thought it would be terrible if members of the community didn't even know about it."

Akant added, "I certainly hope that the entire community will be involved in formulating a response that takes into account all the members of Westhampton, Southampton Town and wherever flyers are being posted."

In recent weeks, peaceful Black Lives Matter vigils have taken place in Bridgehampton, East Hampton, and Riverhead.

Lucius Ware, president of the Long Island chapter of the NAACP, said the Southampton Town's anti-bias task force has made Southampton Town Police of KKK flyers found in areas around town and police have been keeping an eye on the situation.