Courtesy Paul Pogozelski
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
A troubling wave of recent graffiti vandalism has disrupted the atmosphere of Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, with offensive imagery and hate speech appearing regularly over the past few weeks. The vandalism has primarily targeted areas around the park’s hockey rink, track, and baseball batting cages, causing growing concern among local residents and community leaders.
Paul Pogozelski, the leader of the Middle Village Players Hockey League, which serves around 150 families in the area, has been vocal about the issue. The league is a cornerstone of community engagement in the area, and the recent graffiti has sparked fears of its impact on families who frequent the park.
“We first noticed it about a month ago,” Pogozelski said. “At first, it was just regular graffiti, but then it escalated to something much more disturbing. We’ve seen images that are graphic and hateful, including swastikas and other forms of racist and hateful speech. It’s really troubling.”
The offensive graffiti, which often includes anti-Semitic symbols like swastikas and other explicit imagery, has been found around the park’s most popular areas. In some cases, the graffiti targets local elected officials, including current City Councilmember Bob Holden.
The local parks department has responded quickly to reports of the graffiti, with crews typically covering up the offensive messages within 24 hours. However, Pogozelski said that despite the rapid cleanup efforts, the vandalism continues to resurface soon after.
“Once the graffiti is covered, it usually shows up again pretty soon,” he said. “We’ve been working with the parks department and the NYPD to stay on top of it, but it’s really become an ongoing issue.”
The New York Police Department’s 104th Precinct is actively investigating the vandalism. Pogozelski recently met with officers to discuss the situation and share any leads. Though no suspects have been identified yet, authorities are allegedly reviewing surveillance footage from nearby cameras to track down the culprit.
“We think it might be an adult responsible for this, not a teenager or high school kid,” Pogozelski said. “We haven’t heard anything from the usual network of local teens, and we haven’t been able to trace it back to anyone we know. It’s been really quiet on that end.”
Local speculation has linked the vandalism to an incident that occurred several weeks ago when a large-scale crackdown on motorized scooters led to several vehicles being confiscated. Some believe the vandalism could be the result of a disgruntled individual, though this theory is unconfirmed.
“Right now, we don’t have a solid lead, but we’re hoping that information will help us catch the person responsible,” he said.
The graffiti, which has predominantly included swastikas and other graphic symbols, has been described by Pogozelski as both offensive and deeply concerning for the community. The issue has escalated beyond the local precinct, with the investigation now being handled by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit due to the repeated presence of swastikas and other racially charged symbols.
“It’s crazy to think that someone would come to a public park to spread this kind of hate,” Pogozelski said.
Despite the challenges, Pogozelski remains hopeful that the community can work together to address the issue. He has urged local residents to report any suspicious activity to the 104th Precinct and to remain vigilant as the investigation continues.
“We need to stay proactive,” he said. “If anyone sees something, they should reach out to the police right away.”
