Chief Steve Williams is apologizing for the force’s delayed response to a report of a noose found in a wooded area in the city’s west end over the holiday weekend.
Police are also asking anyone in the public with any information in connection with the case to contact them.
At roughly 12:30 p.m. Monday, Sara MacDonald tweeted that she had found a noose in a tree in Warbler Woods.
In the tweet, she alleged that when she reported it to police, she was told, “What can we do? It’s just a rope in a tree.”
MacDonald noted that “lots of families from all cultures walk here” and said in a subsequent tweet that “even if it is just some kids who think they are funny, they need to know that this is a serious symbol of injustice.”
“I didn’t have any doubt when I saw what it was. I was shocked, to say the least,” MacDonald told Global News.
“(It’s) clearly a symbol of anti-Black racism for many people. I don’t know if that’s why it was placed in the tree as that kind of a symbol or what the intent was. But I certainly know what it signifies to most people who see it. And so I was shocked.
“I use Warbler Woods all the time for walking the dog, and I had never expected to come across something so awful there.”
MacDonald said the public’s overall response to her tweet was heartwarming as everyone was “generally outraged.”
“I had a moment when I saw the noose, was sort of like, ‘oh, my goodness, what’s going on in London?’ And then the outpouring of support from the community was actually heartwarming in the sense that I could breathe a sigh of relief that at least the people that I heard from for the most part knew that this was an unjust thing that had occurred.”
MacDonald also explained that she decided to take it down immediately because she “didn’t want a family or some children to come upon it and and have to deal with it.”
Dr. Javeed Sukhera, who is also the chair of the London Police Services Board, also took to Twitter to comment on the incident.
Sukhera, who has declined a request to comment, wrote that the noose was found in the woods near his home and that it’s “never ‘just’ a piece of rope.”
“Historically, those who hung the noose were typically whites who felt threatened by Black communities and sought to intimidate and control them,” he wrote.
“As we are preparing our kids for the #firstdayofschool we must now also prepare them just in case they find a symbol of hatred in the woods that we walk through on a regular basis. What will you be preparing your kids for?
“I will also remind them that the noose is a particular symbol of anti-Black hatred. I will teach them the history of anti-Black racism and we will stand in solidarity with Black communities everywhere seeking dignity and justice in the midst of the chaos that surrounds us.”
Roughly four hours after MacDonald’s initial tweet, police issued a media release reporting that a rope tied as a noose had been located in the Warbler Woods area, off of Commissioners Road West, at around noon and that the person who contacted police to report it said that they had removed it from the public trail.
At that time, police said there was no known risk to public safety but that “the London Police Service stands firm in its commitment to end anti-Black racism and is aware of the impact symbols such as this one may have on our community members.
The investigation is in its early stages and more information will be released as it becomes available.”
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Tuesday afternoon, police issued another update, including a comment from Chief Steve Williams.
“The decision not to dispatch officers at the outset was made from the perspective of criminality and any immediate threat to anyone’s safety, versus the deeper impact it may have in the community as a hate incident,” Williams said.
“I am very aware that the noose is symbolic of a violent history deeply rooted in racist beliefs and practices and that this incident impacted citizens’ feeling of safety, security and personal dignity.”
Williams says the force is committed to the investigation, though he acknowledged that the response was not as “swift as I expect, and not what the community deserves.”
“I am thankful that this matter was brought to my attention so it could be given the appropriate attention, and apologize for our delayed response.”
In Tuesday’s update, police say that officers were dispatched just before 3:30 p.m. Monday and “the complainant accompanied officers to the area where the noose had been located.” At that area, police noticed a small, makeshift shelter made of tree branches.
MacDonald told Global News that two officers came to her house by late afternoon and that they were very professional and “took their role seriously.”
A neighbourhood canvas was conducted, police say, and officers learned that the woods and trails “receive many visitors throughout the day” and is often “frequented by teenaged kids.”
Police say they learned there are a number of gatherings in the location and red plastic cups and an empty pop bottle were found nearby.
Police say investigators “do not believe there to be a risk to public safety.” Williams said that the service “is committed to completing our investigation to determine any criminal intent and what, if any, further action may be warranted.”
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