The response to hateful graffiti at Weldon Park in Glenside quickly became a community cleanup effort, with neighbors, volunteer firefighters and Abington School District facilities personnel helping remove it. Abington Township police are investigating who painted messages targeting Jewish and Black communities.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, racist and offensive remarks were found throughout the Weldon Park playground, with antisemitic and anti-Black remarks written in spray-painted graffiti across the site. Police said the acts specifically targeted Jewish and Black community members, and that there is no place for that kind of hate in Abington Township.
Neighbors Show Up With Scrub Brushes
Dozens of community members brought their own cleaning supplies to the park over the weekend, according to NBC10. Volunteer firefighters worked with Abington School District facilities personnel to remove the graffiti from the playground equipment.
Abington School Board President Melissa Mowry called the vandalism “cowardly and despicable” and thanked police for their quick response, NBC10 reported.
Investigation Continues, Tips Requested
Police have not identified a suspect, and the investigation remains open. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Abington Township Police Department at 267-536-1100.
The Weldon Park investigation comes amid another reported case of hate-driven vandalism in Pennsylvania. Police are investigating after two swastikas and a racial slur were carved into the golf course at Yardley Country Club over a weekend, according to CBS News Philadelphia. The vandalism occurred less than 100 yards from Abrams Hebrew Academy, which has roughly 200 Jewish students. The school has since been spending thousands of dollars on high-powered lighting and cameras, in addition to its existing security guards. The NAACP Bucks County Branch said the symbols carry a “painful history” and can send a message of hate and intimidation that affects an entire community.
What FBI hate-crime data can show
The FBI says its annual hate-crime data cover bias-motivated offenses reported by law enforcement, so the figures describe reported offenses rather than every act of bias-motivated harm, according to the FBI. In its 2019 Pennsylvania table, the FBI notes that an agency’s zero-incident entry applies only to the quarters for which it submitted reports; blank quarters indicate that no report was submitted.
Police have not announced an arrest or named anyone responsible for the Weldon Park graffiti.
