Glen Rock Starbucks' sign vandalized with red paint, police investigating as bias crime

By Alvin Wu
Domestic Affairs
Glen Rock Starbucks' sign vandalized with red paint, police investigating as bias crime

The Glen Rock Starbucks' sign, vandalized with red paint with a transparent covering on it, is seen on Monday, Feb. 19. Two stickers relating to the Israel-Hamas war are on the sign's posts. GLEN ROCK MAYOR KRISTINE MORIEKO/Handout

Feb. 20 (ZFJ) — Glen Rock police are investigating vandalism of the Glen Rock Starbucks’ sign as a bias incident.

At 8:05 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, the manager of the Starbucks at 224 Rock Road in the borough’s Central Business District notified police that red paint had been splashed over the café’s sign at the corner of Rock Road and Glen Avenue.

The responding officer also found stickers on the sign with messages related to the Israel-Hamas war. A photo posted by the Glen Rock mayor shows two stickers on the sign’s posts: a red sticker with white text that reads “FROM THE U.S. TO PALESTINE ABOLISH THE SETTLER STATE” and a black sticker with white text that reads “THERE WAS NEVER A LAND WITHOUT PEOPLE.”

Police said in a Facebook post that they believe the vandalism to have occurred in the early morning hours before the store opened.

“Reported bias incidents in New Jersey have quadrupled in recent years, and they keep rising,” said Police Chief Dean Ackermann in a statement. “Sadly, while we would like to think otherwise, Glen Rock is not immune. This should be completely unacceptable to all of us.”

“Acts motivated by hate are not just attacks on individual people—they are attacks on our community.”

Glen Rock Mayor Kristine Morieko, in a Facebook post, condemned the graffiti and said that Starbucks has arranged to have it removed.

“This is NOT ok. This will NOT be tolerated. Hate is hate,” she wrote.

Morieko said that she and a member of the Glen Rock Jewish Center met at the sign and removed the stickers together.

“The transparent covering is not enough, so we decided to add another layer to cover this disgusting display,” she wrote.

“This is a cowardly act, done in the cover of darkness, and the light will always shine brighter.”

The incident is actively being investigated by the Glen Rock Police Department Detective Bureau. Police are reviewing cameras and have notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. The GRPD says that Starbucks management is fully cooperating with the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sgt. James Calaski at jcalaski@glenrockpolice.com or (201) 670-3948.

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