Photo courtesy of Murfreesboro Police
Murfreesboro Police responded to an act of vandalism on Meigs Drive, in which unknown perpetrators spray-painted messages depicting swastikas in several areas along the street.
According to a press release from MPD Public Information Officer Kyle Evans, the vandalism occurred sometime Friday night and was discovered the next morning. The spray-painted messages included swastikas beneath the word “Trump.” After speaking with residents on the street, MPD officers found that no person was specifically targeted by the vandalism. The Murfreesboro Street Department then responded to the scene to pressure wash and paint over the vandalism.
It is unknown if the incident is related to a similar act of vandalism that occurred at the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in July. According to an annual report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which actively monitors hate crimes throughout the country, the number of extremist and hate groups rose to 917 in 2016 from the 892 groups that were identified in 2015. It also shows that, in Tennessee, there were 38 identified active hate groups in 2016, including a Murfreesboro chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.
The MPD Violent Crimes Unit is currently investigating the Meigs Drive vandalism. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 615-893-STOP.
To contact News Editor Andrew Wigdor, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com.
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