Offensive Graffiti In Palo Alto Being Investigated As Hate Crime

PALO ALTO, CA —The Palo Alto Police Department announced Thursday that an offensive message it found a day earlier written at a local parking garage is being investigated as a hate crime. The department said it did not have any suspects in the case.

In a press release, the PAPD, said that at 8:42 p.m. Wednesday, a dispatch center received a call about offensive graffiti written at City Lot R, located at 528 High Street.

An officer responded to the location, police said, and observed racial epithets directed at Black people written in black marker on a support pillar.

The Palo Alto Public Works Department was quickly notified, and it sent a crew to remove the writing, officials said.

According to authorities, police do not know when the crime occurred. Police also said there is not any known connection between this case and three other vandalism cases that have occurred in local public spaces this year.

In March, officers found a racial epithet directed toward African Americans on a curb at Heritage Park. In May, officers found epithets directed at white people in a bathroom at El Camino Park. In July, another derogatory statement "espousing a hatred of white people" was found inside a bathroom stall at El Camino Park, police said.

According to a press release, personnel from the Palo Alto Police Department "continue to show their commitment to thoroughly investigate reported hate crimes," especially in the the wake of recent national events and increased attention on hate crimes.

The city of Palo Alto also said in the release that it strongly denounces hate crimes of all kinds, and that it encourages members of the community to promptly report incidents by calling the 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413 or 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.

Additionally, anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984, the city said.