'No room here for hate': Tecumseh, Windsor call out graffiti incidents
Little River in Windsor and Tecumseh's Lacasse Park were both defaced just this week
Two hate crimes have been reported to Windsor police in the past seven days — but the Town of Tecumseh says similar incidents throughout the past month have been happening at an alarming rate.
Last week, Windsor police responded to reports of a vandalized SUV. Photos posted on social media showed the vehicle had been spray-painted with words and symbols targeted at the Arab community, included a swastika-like symbol.
More graffiti was found in Windsor on Monday around 8:30 a.m. — this time near the Little River Trail.
The vandalism contained "wording and symbols which caused the case to be classified as a hate crime investigation," according to Windsor police.
Investigators believe the crime was committed between Sunday night and early Monday morning.
"I've been living here for almost 20 years and to see something like this happen very close to my neighbourhood is very disturbing and very concerning," said Kenny Gbadebo, executive director for the Youth Connection Association.
Upon seeing images of the Little River graffiti, Gbadebo said it reminded him of similar incidents happening across the border.
"Maybe not so many people, but we still have a few people who have that hate within them. Maybe it's something they learned from stuff going on in the U.S," he said.
The graffiti was removed by maintenance workers contracted by the City of Windsor Tuesday morning.
"It's not good. It's unsettling. It's a family trail. It's a multi-use trail," said Chris McNamara, one of the workers tasked with cleaning up the graffiti. "You get a lot of elderly. You get every walk of life on this trail — and they shouldn't have to come here to go for a walk on a nice, sunny day and see that kind of thing."
Tuesday morning wasn't the first time McNamara had to clean up hate-filled graffiti this summer.
He said similar graffiti has popped up "in various areas around the city."
"It seems to be [a growing trend]. It pops up in areas like this where it's a family setting — public pools, public parks ... You don't know where it's going to show up."
'A number of incidents' in Tecumseh
Officials from the Town of Tecumseh said Tuesday they're seeking witnesses for "a number of incidents of graffiti" in the town during the past month.
The most recent incident in Tecumseh happened Monday "sometime between 4:30 p.m. and overnight" in Lacasse Park, according to a Tuesday media release.
"We have zero tolerance for this disgusting behaviour and it needs to stop," said Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara, in the same media release.
"Not only is this a cost to taxpayers to clean and repair damaged property, but it is offensive. We are an inclusive community and there is no room here for this type of hate."
Residents have also reported graffiti on private property.
Tecumseh OPP said Tuesday a symbol was painted on a detached garage sometime between Aug. 22 and Aug. 29 at a home on the 1300 block of Bedell Street near Tecumseh Road. Police have also classified this incident as a hate crime.
Hateful graffiti has also appeared at "Southfield Park, A.V. Graham School, behind Pita Mania, and at several pump stations" during the past month.
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara called the person — or people — responsible "cowardly."
"We come from a region that's very diverse. We're very proud of that," said McNamara. "We celebrate it and we'll continue to do so."
"We will apprehend these individuals and they will be prosecuted."
with files from Tahmina Aziz