A Holocaust museum that was defaced twice has now sparked an islandwide effort to combat hate crimes.

An anti-hate task force was created to bring together elected officials, law enforcement and community leaders in an effort to educate people about tolerance. The goal is to also find solutions to end the rise of hate crimes.

The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County was the target of hate crimes. Vandals scrawled swastikas and other hate symbols at the museum. Police released video of a group of people seen on the grounds during an incident on Nov. 24.

"Graffiti may seem innocuous and harmless, but history has taught us that such innocuous and harmless expressions of hate can lead to much worse," says Steven Markowitz, chairman of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center.

Other graffiti incidents occurred on the grounds of the Welwyn Preserve in Glen Cove, the Webb Insititute in Glen Cove and the Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital.

The hope is to develop a plan for outreach and education to combat intolerance and educate young people about the dark history behind the symbols.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says there is zero-tolerance islandwide for bigotry.

Police in Glen Cove are asking anyone with information to call them at 516-676-1002.