Update: Hateful symbols carved into bridge prompt response

A swastika and other hateful symbols were carved into the concrete flooring of the Atomic War Veterans Memorial Bridge in Yorktown in late August, prompting a town response and an investigation by state police.

The vandalism on the bridge, a popular pedestrian span connecting the Granite Knolls and Legacy Park trails over the Taconic State Parkway, was reported Aug. 24 after the town Parks Department received an email about the swastika, according to a news release issued by the town’s public relations firm. A hiker reported additional vandalism the following morning. A police officer documented three symbols and words at the site before the markings were removed.

The Yorktown Police Department referred the case to the New York State Police. Authorities determined there was little chance of identifying a suspect because the time frame of the vandalism was unknown and there were no cameras on the trail.

“Antisemitic and racist graffiti has no place in Yorktown—or anywhere in our society," Supervisor Ed Lachterman said. "We will never allow messages of hate to go unanswered in our community.”

The incident is not the first report of hate symbols or speech in Yorktown in recent years.

In May 2025, a Yorktown teenager was arrested after residents reported antisemitic, racist, homophobic and obscene graffiti at Patriot Skate Park behind Town Hall and at what is now known as Jack DeVito Field Veterans Plaza.

The Yorktown High School 2024 yearbook also drew attention after a senior selected the phrase “From the river to the sea” as their yearbook quote.

A similar incident occurred several years earlier during the tenure of former Town Supervisor Matt Slater, who now represents the area in the state Assembly. Vandalism featuring swastikas, racist slurs and references to gas chambers was painted on a bridge underpass near the Croton Reservoir. Four teenagers from nearby Croton surrendered to police and faced felony criminal mischief charges after cleanup costs elevated the severity of the offense.

In 2020, police also found shattered windows at St. Patrick’s Old Stone Church, the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown and the John C. Hart Memorial Library. A menorah was also toppled at a town athletic field. Security concerns have also arisen at the Hudson Valley Islamic Community Center in recent years, particularly following regional bias incidents and shootings at mosques in other parts of the country.

Peter Cleary, a Yorktown resident of four years and chair of the Yorktown Democratic Committee, expressed concern during public comment at the Sept. 1 Town Board meeting, the first since the late-August incident.

“It seems every year since I moved here, another swastika appears in this town. It doesn't seem to happen in other towns,” Cleary said. “It's very disappointing. I'd love to know what you're going to be doing about it, why this is happening, and what can be done as a community to address and prevent this.”

Lachterman has said education is one piece of the puzzle in combating antisemitism and other forms of hate in Yorktown and beyond. He has pledged to condemn hate in all forms when it appears in Yorktown.

Hours after the Sept. 1 meeting adjourned, he submitted an opinion piece to Halston Media in which he wrote that he believes “it is a fair question to ask what government can do to combat hatred” but he disputed “the suggestion that Yorktown is somehow uniquely afflicted by antisemitism.”

Town officials are encouraging park users to report suspicious activity or vandalism on local trails and facilities.