Neighbor News
Arlington Heights Church Has BLM Banner Vandalized
The Black Lives Matter banner in front of the church was vandalized twice at the end of July.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - A Black Lives Matter banner hanging outside a Lutheran church in Arlington Heights was the target of multiple acts of vandalism in the last week of July, and the authorities are now looking for the person responsible.
The Lutheran Church of the Cross had their Black Lives Matter banner shredded and marked with paint. The markings reportedly included racist words, phrases and caricatures. Investigators at the Arlington Heights Police Department haven't pinned down an exact timeframe, but believe that the attack took place sometime on either Thursday, July 30th or Friday, July 31. This attack is just the latest in a series of racially motivated acts of vandalism in Arlington Heights.
On July 8, a Buffalo Grove man, Josiah J. Biewer, was arrested and charged with fourteen felony charges involving seven instances of vandalism after he was linked to racist graffiti found in multiple locations across Arlington Heights. In light of this arrest, the Arlington Heights Police noted in their press release that their investigation into the Black Lives Matter banner is ongoing, and have not yet said whether they have potentially connected Biewer to the recent attacks at the church. Numerous Arlington Heights village officials, including board members and Mayor Tom Hayes, condemned the vandalism and pushed for the person responsible to be held accountable.
Find out what's happening in Buffalo Grovefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
With policing a hot issue in recent months, the Arlington Heights Police Department has attempted to increase transparency. In response to the death of George Floyd on May 25 and the widespread issue of police reform, the Department released an overview of their policies and practices. In the release, Police Chief Nicholas Percora stated that, "best practice policies guide the Arlington Heights Police Department and holds us to a high standard."
Mayor Hayes also stated that he would be planning a conference on race in the near future to address the ongoing issues in the village. The date of this conference has yet to be confirmed.
