Residents of the Yorktown and Overbrook sections of Bowie are still seeking an answer to the question of who left racist graffiti on their cars and a neighborhood school at the end of May.

At a June 24 meeting, a Bowie police official said police were still working the case but had made no arrests.

"It's difficult to explain stupidity and ignorance and that's usually what fuels these things," Bowie police Deputy Chief John Nesky told an audience of about 15 city residents who attended the meeting at City Hall on the vandalism.

The meeting was called by the city and the Bowie Diversity Committee, a City Council-appointed group of residents who work to improve communication between diverse groups within the city and establish an environment of equal opportunity for residents.

Residents discussed the incidents in which 11 cars and Yorktown Elementary School were defaced with swastikas and racial epitaphs and made suggestions to prevent such crimes from occurring again in the neighborhood. While some residents asked for more police patrols, others suggested that programs meant to address intolerance might be better suited to curb the crimes.

"Hate is a learned behavior," said Diversity Committee chairwoman Elveeda Dixon.

On the flip side, she added, so is tolerance. Through the committee she hopes to offer educational seminars this year that will highlight and promote the tolerance of other cultures, races and religions. Holding such seminars has always been a goal of the committee, which formed in 2003, Dixon said.

Several residents suggested the recent crimes were committed by neighborhood youth. Nesky said he would look into the accusation but as of Monday had no updates. He suggested the incident might rally the community to start a Neighborhood Watch program.

Some residents said they are worried about the presence of gangs in the neighborhood and asked if the city could offer additional programs aimed at keeping local youth out of trouble. City grants administrator Jesse Buggs suggested the city explore programs targeted at students who have been expelled or suspended from school since such students might be more likely to get into trouble when they are out of school.

Focusing solely on neighborhood children as the source of the vandalism would be a missed opportunity, said Dixon, adding that she preferred a broader approach that included education about hate crimes and promoting the acceptance of diverse populations.

All of the suggestions sounded worthwhile to resident Gary Frederick, who had the word "loser" carved into the side of his car by the vandals. Perhaps by experimenting with several of the suggestions the city could find a winning combination to stamp out any future hate crimes, he said.

Kevin Gaines, who had to spend more than $1,000 to have a racial epithet removed from the side of his car, said he believed the problem is rooted in parents not taking proper responsibility for their children.

"We need to make our parents responsible for what is happening in our community," he said. "I need to look that person in the eye and ask, ‘Why did you have to carve that word into my driver side door that I have to look at every day?'"

E-mail Andrea Noble at anoble@gazette.net.