By Bill Parry
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating more homophobic graffiti in Astoria within the last three weeks.
A vandal tagged several garages on 23rd Street, between 38th and 29th avenues, with slurs against former President Barack Obama.
“These brazen acts of hate are not tolerated in our community and will be met with a swift and aggressive response,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) said. “It is critical that this hoodlum be brought to justice and taken off our streets as quickly as possible before more of our neighborhoods are affected. I will continue to work with the NYPD to make that happen.”
The same homophobic graffiti was found on the Pistilli Towers at 31-19 Newtown Ave., where Gianaris and Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria) have their district offices. The vandal scrawled messages on that building for three weeks in a row last month.
“This hateful graffiti is a cowardly, criminal act,” Simotas said. “Each time this garbage has polluted our neighborhood, community members have alerted me within hours because this is just not who we are or what we stand for. These acts of hate will neither silence nor stop Astoria’s public servants or our neighbors from working to fight discrimination and intolerance and to protect the beautiful diversity of our neighborhood.”
The NYPD released surveillance camera footage of a suspect last month. He is believed to be a white or light-skinned Hispanic between 30 to 40 years old. He is left-handed.
“I condemn this repeated act of hate and defacement of property,” City Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) said. “These bigoted and prejudicial acts have no place in Astoria. As hate crimes are increasing across our city, we stand together in support of respect and tolerance. We continue to fight against despicable and offensive acts like these.”
Anyone with information can call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
