Calgary police have launched an investigation into graffiti found in areas throughout an off-leash dog park near Ranch Estates Drive in northwest Calgary. Officers said Friday they are reviewing the messages to see if they meet the threshold of a hate crime.
Glen Tinckler told Global News he spotted the mixture of anti-Islamic and anti-Semitic graffiti about a week ago while walking his dog. He’s lived in Ranch Estates for 20 years and said he’s never seen racist markings in the area.
Police said criminal hate speech is defined as follows:
- targeted towards an identifiable group
- located somewhere public
- likely to lead to harm against the targeted individuals
Police are continuing to collect evidence. City crews had removed the graffiti by Friday afternoon.
The Islamic Association of Northwest Calgary (IANWC) is about a five-minute walk away. IANWC board member Adel Rachdi said Thursday he’s not surprised by the markings.
“This happens because people sometimes have misunderstanding about Islam. Ignorance. That’s what it comes from,” Rachdi told Global News.
Watch below: Graffiti has been drawn and painted in areas throughout an off-leash dog park in northwest Calgary. Kim Smith explains March 16.
— With files from Jill Croteau and Kim Smith