Police in Vancouver, B.C. are appealing to the public for help in identifying and locating a suspect who defaced several large windows at the Chinese Cultural Centre with hateful graffiti last month.
According to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), the suspect entered the courtyard of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside during the afternoon of April 2.
The suspect wrote what the VPD said were “racist remarks towards the Asian community” on four of the facility’s large glass windows.
“It angers me to see some people commit such hateful acts,” said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart. He also mentioned reports of verbal abuse on the streets against people who appear to have Asian heritage.
“We know that hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents are generally underreported. We believe the increase in March is indicative of a larger issue,” said VPD Constable Tania Visintin. “We are making a plea to victims or people who witness hate crimes to please come forward and report the incidents to police so they can be investigated.”
Vancouver Police note that in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, they have seen an uptick in reports of “hate motivated” incidents and behavior targeting members of the Asian community.
Stewart noted that May is Asian American Pacific Heritage Month.
“I ask all of us—no matter our ancestry—to take a moment to reflect how much richer our lives are for living in a city with such vibrant, historical, and present day connections to Asia,” he said. “I want us all to commit this month, and all year long, to actively denounce hateful actions and support those fighting hard to make our city even more inclusive and welcoming.”