As vandals burn LGBTQ pride flags, Westfield neighbors want police patrol

It wasnt the first time this Westfield family woke up to an empty space on their front porch where rainbow colors should have been flying.

As of last week, it wasnt even the second time, or the third the same South Maple St. address has been hit five times over the past year, with thieves snatching the familys LGBTQ pride flags off of their property under the cover of darkness and hoodies, then burning them afterwards.Read more: Pride flags stolen, burned behind YMCA, Westfield police say

Most recently and in the early morning hours of Jan. 16, according to the Westfield Police Department, surveillance footage at the Westfield home showed two male individuals dressed in masks and bulky clothing stealing a rainbow LGBTQ pride flag and a pink, white and blue transgender pride flag off the front porch and a third person standing off to the side to record the crime.

The department said the suspects then burned the flags behind a YMCA and that a white car picked the individuals up from the Y, with surveillance footage last showing the vehicle heading westbound on Court St. in Westfield.

Police released images of a vehicle they believe to have been involved in the incident, seen in front of the Westfield Athenaeum after the flags were stolen Monday morning. (SUBMITTED / WESTFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT)

The surrounding community has had enough of the hate, and it appears the homeowners have too.

Neighbors, town officials and an activist have called for more police action on the matter, with some suggesting heightened security on the Westfield home in the form of police patrol on the street.

Rebecca Gonzalez, the next door neighbor to the repeatedly-vandalized home, stood outside on her own front porch on Jan. 20, gazing at her neighbors newly-raised rainbow pride flag flying alongside another newly-raised pink, blue and white transgender pride flag.

Its messed up; what do they [the thieves] have against pride? Gonzalez said.Read more: Westfield Police seeking information after pride flags stolen for 5th time in a year

The neighbor said shes known the family of four for some time, calling them down to earth, always helping out, and great neighbors. She said the father of the family came to help mow Gonzalezs lawn following her cancer diagnosis last year.

Now, Gonzalez said her happy go-lucky neighbors have been reduced to living in a constant state of stress, keeping their lights on at night, continuing a cycle of buying new LGBTQ and transgender pride flags and hanging them up only for them to be torn down again.

The South Maple Street home in Westfield that's had its LGBTQ pride flags stolen and burned five times in one year. (Irene Rotondo/MassLive.com)

It makes me question, why? Is it personal? Its not fair, Gonzalez said. The neighbor shared she believes its the same individuals stealing the flags, and that theyve gotten more confident each time theyve gotten away with the flags.

The neighbor said she believes theres only one thing left to do: heighten police patrols and presence in the area. Gonzalez said she feels that having an officer drive up and down South Maple St. at night during allotted hours would make her feel better, and she thinks it may dissuade the thieves from trespassing and stealing again.Read more: New Massachusetts hotline number for reporting hate crimes 1-833-634-8669, U.S. Attorney says

This is where we rally together as a community, said Taurean Bethea, founder of the Springfield Pride Parade organization. Where our law enforcement steps in to patrol, to make sure these areas are patrolled properly so we can catch these vandals destroying the flags, and doing all these hateful crimes.

We have to hold all of our leaders… feet to the fire and show them that we need the support, and we should watch the rhetoric that we put out in the universe because people are in a very stupid way continuing to harm this community, Bethea added. Its just terrible, and its very disheartening.

Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe condemned the thefts and said he hopes the situation will be resolved soon, according to The Westfield News. City Councilor Kristen Mello, who last year led a push to allow pride flags to fly on city property, called the incident a hate crime to the outlet.

It is unfortunate that this continues to happen, McCabe told the outlet. Obviously this is a Police Department matter and hopefully we will get some resolution soon.

The continuation of these hate crimes certainly shows us where or city has more work to do, Mello told Westfield News. The vast majority of Westfield residents feel it is unacceptable for community members to be targeted because of who they are.Read more: United Parish in Brookline officials says their transgender pride flag was burned, destroyed

Other nearby neighbors of the home stated theyre concerned for their own safety, sharing theyve ordered video surveillance Ring doorbells for their own homes, and are on high alert to warn others in their cozy and quiet neighborhood.

A sign on the lawn of the Westfield South Maple Street home that's had its LGBTQ pride flags stolen five times in the past year, which reads, "Let's be nicer to each other. We're all trying our best!" (Irene Rotondo/MassLive.com)

The homeowners declined to comment to MassLive, but its apparent theyre not backing down to the thieves.

On Friday, Jan. 20, four days after the most recent vandalization, two pride flags flew from the South Maple Street front porch along with three additional handmade signs that appeared to be in response to the thieves.Read more: Matthew Lindner, accused of threatening to kill Boston doctor, due in court

One sign read, Lets be nicer to each other. Were all trying our best! in white lettering on a maroon background, while another said, FORGET THE MISTAKE REMEMBER THE LESSON! in capitalized black letters on a yellow board. The third sign featured a large hand-painted red heart on a white background, with the words simply stating, Dont stop until youre Proud.

Signs on the lawn of a repeatedly-vandalized Westfield home that read, "FORGET THE MISTAKE REMEMBER THE LESSON!" and "Don't stop until you're Proud." (Irene Rotondo/MassLive.com)

The Westfield Police Department said it does not share details regarding ongoing investigations, and declined to comment on the case and on the matter of police patrols at the house. The department has also asked anyone with information regarding the case to contact Detective Anthony Tsatsos at 413-642-9385 or a.tsatsos@cityofwestfield.org.