Police investigate possible hate-related incident at Scarboro United Church

Calgary police are investigating an incident of property damage at Scarboro United Church as a possible hate-related crime.

Sometime between Friday, March 25 at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m., police believe a Pride flag hanging on the church that welcomed members of the LGBTQ2S+ community was damaged. There were cuts and burns on the banner, and someone scrawled the word 'Repent' on it with a black marker.

Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious behaviour in the area between Friday night and Sunday morning or who has information pertaining to this case is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234.

"A hate crime is a criminal offence committed against a person or property, which is motivated in whole or part by the suspect’s hate, bias or prejudice toward an identifiable group," said Sgt. Matt Messenger of the CPS Hate Crime and Extremism Team, in a release. "It appears that the damage to the church’s banner and welcoming message to all individuals was motivated towards the LGBTQ2S+ community, and we continue to investigate this incident."

Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious behaviour in the area between Friday night and Sunday morning or who has information pertaining to this case is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234.

Callers who wish to remain anonymous can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online or by using the P3 Tips app available at Apple or the Google Play Store.