Another swastika turns up at U.C. Davis

Thursday, March 18, 2010 | by

A 5-inch swastika carved into a hallway bulletin board at a residence hall on the U.C. Davis campus was discovered March 14, according to university police.

A resident adviser reported the latest swastika to authorities at approximately 11:55 p.m., although Capt. Joyce Souza of the U.C. Davis Police Department said the swastika was likely carved into the bulletin board at least two weeks ago and covered up by fliers until recently.

As part of the investigation, police took crime scene photos and fingerprints, and removed the bulletin board as evidence.

In recent weeks, five other swastikas have been found on campus, the first etched into the door of a Jewish student’s dorm room in February and four more spray- painted around campus earlier this month.

“It’s a lot of activity for our campus in a short period of time,” Souza said. “We are extremely concerned and taking this very seriously.”

Souza said the police department is investigating the latest incident and other recent acts on campus as vandalism, adding that authorities are following up on several tips to “pin down the responsible individuals.”

“In the bigger context, these are hate crimes,” Souza said. “A swastika is a symbol of hate and we’re putting all our resources toward these leads. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but we have to look.”

Fred Wood, vice chancellor for student affairs at U.C. Davis, said, “This sort of reprehensible behavior is an affront to all of us.

“We must be bold in addressing these and all other acts of hate and prejudice,” he added. “We must make our community more inclusive and welcoming. Everyone has the right to feel safe here.”

Anyone with information is asked to call campus police at (530) 752-1727. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call the 24-hour crime tip line at (530) 752-9944.