Racist graffiti found spray-painted on Shelburne roads

Police in Shelburne, N.S., are investigating racist graffiti spray-painted on the road at two locations last week.

In images of one of the locations taken by a member of the public and seen by CBC News, the road is spray-painted with the N-word and "KKK."

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Chris Marshall said on Aug. 31 around 10 p.m., police responded to a complaint about youth knocking on doors in the town and discovered graffiti containing racial slurs. 

After collecting evidence, police contacted town officials and asked them to paint over the offensive graffiti, Marshall said. 

He said police received a complaint the next day that graffiti of a similar nature was found at another location in the town.

Police are investigating and have been keeping town officials and leaders of the Black community updated, he said.

Possible hate crime

According to Marshall, while the initial investigation will be "related to mischief" because of the content of the graffiti, police are not ruling out the possibility that it may also amount to a hate crime. 

"It's certainly something that we are looking at," Marshall said.

The Criminal Code states that communicating statements inciting hatred toward an identifiable group in a public place is an indictable offence punishable by up to two years in prison. 

The identifiable group is defined as a section of the public "distinguished by colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or mental or physical disability."

Police are asking anyone with information about the incidents to contact the Shelburne RCMP or Crimestoppers.