The Bike Path At A Whitemarsh Township Park Was Defaced Saturday With A Racial Slur

WHITEMARSH, PA — Local officials are responding to an incident of vandalism in the community involving a local park that was tagged with a racial slur.

Whitemarsh officers were dispatched this past Saturday to McCarthy Park, in the area of LaFrance and Fairway Roads, where a park visitor said he or she had observed someone spray painting the derogatory term on the bike path at the park, according to police.

The racial slur had been painted in white paint across the pathway, police said.

Police said a local resident had taken it upon himself to power wash the majority of the slur from the bike path.

Officers contacted crews with the township's Public Works Department who subsequently came out to remove the remainder of the vandalism.

More specifics were not given as to the exact nature of what was written.

The individual who caught the suspect in the act said they confronted the person, who was described as a juvenile male, according to police.

Local officials reacted to the incident with a statement on the township's website on Monday.

"We are shocked and saddened at the vandalism that included a racial slur in one of our parks on Saturday. The Whitemarsh Board of Supervisors condemns this act," the township supervisors jointly wrote in the statement. "Everyone deserves to feel safe; safe in their home, their Township and their community.

"We join together with neighbors and friends in the spirit of unity to continue to work with local agencies, including our schools and our Police Department, to reinforce our shared vision that all should feel safe and that actions like this will not be tolerated," the supervisors stated.

Locals took to social media to respond to the news of the vandalism.

"Thank you and please provide updates as you learn more. This is no place for hate," Debbie Heuckeroth wrote on the Whitemarsh Police Department's Facebook page.

"That is so unfortunate but I am very happy neighbors stepped in to make this right and that the police responded to this in such a thoughtful way," wrote Li Wynn.

Police are asking anyone with additional information about this incident to contact the department at 610-825-6530.