ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Work is underway to remove racist, hateful graffiti from a skate park in Ann Arbor.
Police said the black graffiti, which includes racial slurs and swastikas, was found Friday morning on the pavement at a skate park within the Veterans Memorial Park at Maple Road and Dexter Avenue. At three swastikas were painted on the skating surface along with racial slurs.
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The Ann Arbor Police Department will have increased patrols around city parks as a result of the incident. Police are asking for the public's help reporting any suspicious behavior at or near city parks.
Anyone with information about the Veterans Memorial Park incident is asked to call the Ann Arbor Police Department at 734-794-6939 or email tips@a2gov.org.
According to Michigan law, this kind of graffiti is classified as ethnic intimidation, a felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of $5,000 -- or both.
The Michigan Penal Code describes ethnic intimidation as:
(1) A person is guilty of ethnic intimidation if that person maliciously, and with specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person's race, color, religion, gender, or national origin, does any of the following:
(a) Causes physical contact with another person.
(b) Damages, destroys, or defaces any real or personal property of another person.
(c) Threatens, by word or act, to do an act described in subdivision (a) or (b), if there is reasonable cause to believe that an act described in subdivision (a) or (b) will occur.
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