Calgary police are now investigating several graffiti and vandalism incidents in the city’s southeast as hate crimes and have released CCTV footage in the hopes that someone will come forward with new information.
A number of incidents occurred in the community of Queensland between Friday, February 12 and Friday, February 19.
Incident 1 occurred between Friday, Feb. 12, and Sunday, Feb. 14:
- A passerby noticed anti-Syrian and anti-Trudeau graffiti on Wilma Hansen Junior High School, located at 963 Queensland Drive S.E, at about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Incidents 2, 3 and 4 occurred on Thursday, Feb. 18:
- Unknown offenders broke two windows and sprayed graffiti tags in yellow paint on the outside of Haultain Memorial Elementary School, at 605 Queensland Drive S.E., at about 1:30 a.m.
- A short time later, unknown offenders went to the Queensland Community Association and Rink, at 649 Queensland Drive S.E., and sprayed yellow paint on the south wall of the community hall, a nearby utility trailer and a large storage container.
- Then at about 3:45 a.m., unknown offenders smashed a number of windows at Wilma Hansen Junior High School.
Incident 5 occurred between 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19 and about 9:15 a.m. on Saturday Feb. 20:
- More anti-Syrian and anti-Trudeau graffiti was spray painted on Wilma Hansen Junior High School.
Police say they take the anti-Syrian and anti-Trudeau references seriously and that the incidents will be investigated as hate crimes.
They have also stepped up patrols in the area and have released CCTV footage of the first incident in hopes of identifying and locating anyone who may have been involved.
Anyone who may have been in the area at the time or has information about these incidents is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234, or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
TEXT: ttTIPS to 274637
Video footage of the first incident on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016
