Early Saturday morning, a quiet stretch of Berkley woke up to an ugly surprise: dozens of small plastic packets and leaflets strewn across front lawns, filled with antisemitic propaganda that police say were tossed from passing vehicles. The leaflets, some comparing Jewish people to the devil, were stuffed with tiny bags of corn, turning otherwise normal yards in this Oakland County city into an unsettling crime scene. Berkley Public Safety has opened an investigation and is urging neighbors to review any doorbell or security video that might offer clues.
Where the fliers turned up
Berkley Public Safety officers ultimately collected roughly 100 pamphlets from lawns along Henley Avenue, Cass Boulevard, and Oxford and Wiltshire roads, in the neighborhood between 11 Mile and 12 Mile and between Woodward and Coolidge, according to FOX 2 Detroit. Officers said the packets appeared to have been flung out of car windows sometime before 6 a.m. Saturday. The first report on the distribution of the fliers was published by Deadline Detroit.
Police response and community safety
“We want to be in a safe community where people feel respected and free to have differing opinions,” Lt. Andrew Hadfield told reporters as investigators canvassed the blocks, according to FOX 2 Detroit. City officials said patrols in the affected area will be stepped up, and residents can voluntarily upload any relevant footage through the department’s evidence portal, CBS Detroit reported. Anyone with information or video is asked to call investigators at 248-658-3390, according to the department.
Legal context
State officials are reminding residents that bias-motivated incidents should be reported both to local police and through Michigan’s civil-rights and law-enforcement channels. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights outlines how hate crimes and bias incidents are handled at the local level. The Attorney General’s Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism Unit also works with local departments on suspected bias-motivated cases and encourages residents to send in tips that can help support community investigations, according to the state’s public guidance and a recent statement from the Attorney General.
How residents can help
Anyone who has video showing people or vehicles tossing the small bags and pamphlets is asked to submit that footage through Berkley Public Safety’s evidence portal or contact the detective bureau at 248-658-3390, according to CBS Detroit. Investigators said the materials have been removed from properties and that the probe remains active, and they are asking residents with any tips at all to get in touch with Berkley Public Safety’s investigators.
