A hanging rope sent shockwaves through a Bronx community, many thinking it was a noose hanging from a tree in Van Cortlandt Park the eve of Juneteenth.

However, the NYPD Hate Crime Unit says the rope that was found was leftover construction material, used to tie low hanging branches and wires.

Jennifer Scarlott, coordinator of North Bronx Racial Justice, has been in contact with a Bronx resident who claimed to have seen three nooses in Van Cortlandt Park.

“What Rafael Pena told me is that he felt that the police response was rather laid-back, rather indifferent and he couldn’t understand why they would come so quickly to the conclusion that it was pinta strings,” says Scarlott.

The NYPD and Parks Department stated the ropes were not what the parkgoer thought, claiming it was leftover construction material and often used to hang decorations.

Regardless of whether the ropes that were found were intended to be a hateful symbol or not, elected officials and local organizations say they hope police took enough time to investigate.