Swastikas Drawn Onto Ringwood Council Candidate's Signs

RINGWOOD, NJ – After campaign signs on the front lawn of a Ringwood borough council candidate were defaced with ant-Semitic symbols, police are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward.

Following Mischief Night, police said they received “several complaints of graffiti and criminal mischief” in the Erskine Lakes section of town, which “involved shaving cream and toilet paper, as well as property being spray painted.”

According to Ringwood Democratic Organization, swastikas were spray painted on signs located on candidate Jennifer Hsu’s front yard.

“At this time, the damage appears to be random and involving several types of offensive graffiti symbols,” police said.

But, due to the nature of the symbols, the department is handling the investigation as a biased incident.

Any residents in the neighborhood with outside video surveillance cameras are being asked to review their footage from Oct. 30.

And, if residents find anything on the recording that may give police a lead, they are encouraged to contact the Ringwood Police Department at 973-962-7017.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer has since condemned the anti-Semitic graffiti.

“The swastikas scrawled on signs in Ringwood are a disgusting display of anti-Semitism that have no place in Ringwood, in the Fifth District, in New Jersey, or anywhere in our nation,” Gottheimer said. “This hate-motivated crime in no way reflects the values of our North Jersey community, and, unfortunately, is further vile evidence that anti-Semitism, and hate-driven extremism is on the rise here and around the world. We must continue fighting back against all forms of hate.”