There have now been two hate motivated Graffiti incidents in the community of Palermo, and to say the Mayor isn't happy would be an understatement. He released a statement condemning the acts and apologizing to the residents who were affected.
"Our community is revolted by the racist message," stated the Oakville Mayor Rob Burton on Monday, June 29th.
"I apologize on behalf of our community to the families who were made to feel unsafe or unwelcome in their own community. Town Council and Oakville residents and I stand with our black community for the inclusive, diverse, and equitable community we are all working for," continued Burton.
Hate motivated graffiti incidents
Both incidents happened in the Palermo community which is located in the North-West section of Oakville. They happened within a block of each other.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
The first incident of graffiti occurred on the sidewalk at the intersection of Liptay Avenue and Colonel William Parkway.
Sunday, June 28, 2020
The second incident occurred on the sidewalk on Skipton Lane. This time the perpetrators used chalk to create the graffiti. During this incident, 4 males in their late teens or early 20's were observed walking on Skipton Lane and are believed to be involved in the incident.
Click for detailed map © OpenStreetMap contributors CC BY-SAClick for detailed map © OpenStreetMap contributors CC BY-SA
Description of Suspects
Suspect 1 wore a red hoodie style sweater.
Suspect 2 wore dark shorts and a dark t-shirt
Suspect 3 wore a light coloured sweater or jacket and dark pants.
Suspect 4 wore dark coloured clothing.
Due to the nature of the graffiti this is being investigated as a hate motivated incident. The Halton Regional Police will not release the details of the graffiti in order not to propagate the intended hateful message.
If you were in the vicinity of these incidents and have knowledge (including security camera footage) that may help, please contact Detective Constable Samantha Coysh of the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2245
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can submit tips to Halton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.