Police investigating after ‘offensive’ graffiti is found in Norwich.

Norwich police are investigating after offensive graffiti was discovered in several locations on the city’s westside on Friday.

Police said they discovered antisemitic symbols in four different locations, as well as graffiti that read “Trump.”

“Roughly around 6:30 this morning, we started fielding phone calls, both on our anonymous tip line and dispatch,” Lieutenant Kyle Besse told me. “We dispatched officers and discovered the graffiti in a variety of locations. At least two of them included the word ‘Trump’, as well as a swastika-style symbol.”

Besse said one was found on a wall and the other on the Interstate 395 flyover. Two were spray painted on roads.

“A friend messaged me and said, ‘How disgusting is this? “Look what’s going on in our town.” Erica Inman of Norwich said, “I’ve never seen anything like this in my 46 years of living here.” “It’s disgusting, it’s pretty horrible.”

The Jewish community in Norwich was devastated to learn about the graffiti on Friday morning.

“This morning, to wake up to a text message from a friend saying, ‘I was driving to Starbucks to get my coffee and there was a huge swastika on the road,’ [it] just was a devastating way to start the day when our community is feeling so vulnerable and sad right now,” Rachel Levy, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, said.

“Our community is home to children of Holocaust survivors. Our Jewish community actively supports community members in need of food and clothing. We don’t understand why there are people here who want to exterminate us,” she added.

Levy stated that she wishes she could sit down and talk with the person responsible.

“We would like to have a conversation we would like to show what the Jewish community is really all about, that we want to work towards building a better world and we don’t want anybody to miss out on the opportunities of this wonderful American democracy that we’re a part of,” Levy told the crowd.

“Our Norwich community does not tolerate this. This is not something we want in our community. My family came here in 1905 as Jewish immigrants, and we’re here to stay,” she said.

Officers are gathering evidence, determining who is responsible, and taking all necessary legal action to prosecute those involved.

“This type of vandalism is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our community,” Norwich police stated. “We want to assure the public that the Norwich Police Department is diligently investigating this matter.”

Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said in a statement, “I believe the acts are despicable. The act of cowardice. It’s clear that this demonstrates the unfortunate hatred in our world, and I fully expect these people to be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Norwich Area Interfaith Association issued a statement expressing their deep concern and sadness over these recent incidents.

“These symbols of hatred and intolerance are an affront to the values we cherish as a community—love, respect, and unity. We stand together to make it absolutely clear that hate has no place in Norwich.”

Norwich police are investigating after offensive graffiti was discovered in several locations on the city’s westside on Friday.

Police said they discovered antisemitic symbols in four different locations, as well as graffiti that read “Trump.”

“Roughly around 6:30 this morning, we started fielding phone calls, both on our anonymous tip line and dispatch,” Lieutenant Kyle Besse told me. “We dispatched officers and discovered the graffiti in a variety of locations. At least two of them included the word ‘Trump’, as well as a swastika-style symbol.”

Besse said one was found on a wall and the other on the Interstate 395 flyover. Two were spray painted on roads.

“A friend messaged me and said, ‘How disgusting is this? “Look what’s going on in our town.” Erica Inman of Norwich said, “I’ve never seen anything like this in my 46 years of living here.” “It’s disgusting, it’s pretty horrible.”

The Jewish community in Norwich was devastated to learn about the graffiti on Friday morning.

“This morning, to wake up to a text message from a friend saying, ‘I was driving to Starbucks to get my coffee and there was a huge swastika on the road,’ [it] just was a devastating way to start the day when our community is feeling so vulnerable and sad right now,” Rachel Levy, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, said.

“Our community is home to children of Holocaust survivors. Our Jewish community actively supports community members in need of food and clothing. We don’t understand why there are people here who want to exterminate us,” she added.

Levy stated that she wishes she could sit down and talk with the person responsible.

“We would like to have a conversation we would like to show what the Jewish community is really all about, that we want to work towards building a better world and we don’t want anybody to miss out on the opportunities of this wonderful American democracy that we’re a part of,” Levy told the crowd.

“Our Norwich community does not tolerate this. This is not something we want in our community. My family came here in 1905 as Jewish immigrants, and we’re here to stay,” she said.

Officers are gathering evidence, determining who is responsible, and taking all necessary legal action to prosecute those involved.

“This type of vandalism is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our community,” Norwich police stated. “We want to assure the public that the Norwich Police Department is diligently investigating this matter.”

Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said in a statement, “I believe the acts are despicable. The act of cowardice. It’s clear that this demonstrates the unfortunate hatred in our world, and I fully expect these people to be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Norwich Area Interfaith Association issued a statement expressing their deep concern and sadness over these recent incidents.

“These symbols of hatred and intolerance are an affront to the values we cherish as a community—love, respect, and unity. We stand together to make it absolutely clear that hate has no place in Norwich.”

Statement by the Norwich Area Interfaith Association.

The Norwich Area Interfaith Association is deeply troubled and saddened by recent acts of hatred in our city, which included the painting of swastikas in four different locations. These symbols of hatred and intolerance are an affront to the values we cherish as a community—love, respect, and unity. We stand together to make it absolutely clear that hate has no place in Norwich.

Norwich is a city that celebrates its diversity.