The American flag in front of the Port Washington post office was taken down and replaced with a Russian flag over the weekend, police said.
The switch took place sometime between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning, James Salerno, chief of the Port Washington Police Department, said.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating, Xavier Hernandez, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, said.
“We in the postal service appreciate the seriousness of this apparent act of vandalism and we share the concerns of the community of Port Washington regarding this recent incident involving our flag,” he said.
The postmaster immediately reported the incident to the Postal Inspection Service and the Port Washington Police Department, Hernandez said.
“We are proud to display the American flag today, tomorrow and every day outside our offices,” Hernandez said
On a Port Washington community Facebook page, The Real Port Washington, some residents said they believe the switch was part of a senior prank.