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.
“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.