EDITOR’S NOTE: Police originally said the church was located in the northwest but issued a correction saying it was in the southwest. This story has been updated to reflect the police service’s correction.
Police are searching for suspects involved in the vandalism of a statue in southwest Calgary that has made people “feel targeted because of their religion.”
On July 14, at around 1:30 a.m., police said two people spray-painted the head and body of a Jesus Christ statue outside the Sacred Heart Church, located at 1307 14 St. S.W.
Police said the graffiti was not seen until the next day.
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“Graffiti can cause real harm to people’s sense of safety and can make them feel like someone out there is intent on harming them,” hate crimes co-ordinator Const. Craig Collins said in a news release Wednesday.
“Targeting a specific person’s property or painting, things like racial slurs and swastikas is not just graffiti, it sends a message that certain people are being singled out for ill-treatment by others in our community.”
Collins has initiated an investigation and is releasing CCTV footage of the incident in hopes of identifying the suspects.
Police said graffiti is a criminal offence that can result in a stiffer sentence if “there is evidence that it was motivated by hate.”
Anyone with information about the incident, or the people involved, is asked to contact Calgary police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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