Residents report to TLS two anti-Semitic incidents that occurred in Lakewood over the weekend, and the Police Chief today has condemned those acts.

A vandal, or vandals, used graffiti to scrawl hate messages on a Jewish home, as well as on a Jewish-owned vehicle blocks away. It’s unknown if the incidents are related.

“We have a zero tolerance for this type of behavior in Lakewood,” Police Chief Rob Lawson told TLS. “I’m sure all police departments are sensitive to that, but in Lakewood we’re especially sensitive to this because we’re a mosaic of many cultures, and incidents like this threaten the very fabric of the community,” Lawson says.

Though there appears to be a recent spike in anti-Semitic incidents – including in neighboring towns -bias incidents have generally decreased, the Chief says.

“Sometimes groups of teens come in from other towns and think it’s a joke,” the Chief says. “We have made arrests and we continue to be very vigilant.”

The Chief also encouraged victims to contact the police and report such incidents.

[TLS]

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