Bel Air Police Probe Black Lives Matter And Anti Trump Graffiti

BEL AIR, MD — Police in Bel Air are investigating multiple cases of vandalism involving political messaging. Authorities said anyone caught committing crimes like the spray-painting found on homes Monday morning or posting white nationalist stickers could face up to three years in prison and/or a fine up to $2,500.

Four homes in Bel Air were spray-painted with "BLM"and anti-Trump graffiti between 1 and 6:30 a.m. Monday, according to police. Investigators said they found homes on Benjamin Road, Benjamin Court and North Shamrock Road had been vandalized with black spray-paint.

A residential surveillance camera captured the suspect, but it was in infrared, so the colors of the clothing were dark rather than light, officials said.

News of the vandalism came days after the Wall Street Journal resurfaced a case of Trump sign crimes in another Bel Air neighborhood that remains under investigation by the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

In that incident, several homes in the Bel Air South area had Trump campaign signs reported stolen Aug. 9.

See Also: Campaign Signs Stolen From Bel Air Yards: Video

The suspect in the August case remains at large, despite a home surveillance camera showing him in the act, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported political sign-related crimes are sweeping the country.

"Unfortunately, it's leading people to make very bad choices" that they are "very passionate on both sides of the aisle about their candidate," Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said in the newspaper article.

Campaign sign vandals and thieves have increasingly been spotted on cameras around the United States, where home surveillance camera sales surged from 9 million a year in 2016 to 15.5 million annual unit sales in 2020, according to the newspaper.

In the meantime, officials reminded people that it is a crime to vandalize or steal campaign signs or other property.

The Bel Air Police Department is "aggressively pursuing all leads to this politically oriented hate incident and others, to include posting of racist stickers supportive of the white supremacy movement," authorities said in a statement. "In addition, Bel Air Police Department continues to seek information surrounding the application of Patriot Front stickers defacing public and private properties throughout town."

Anyone with information about the incidents in the town of Bel Air is asked to contact Officer Gordon Hunt at ghunt@belairmd.org or 410-638-4500.