Police chief warns of hate-based crimes
Religious congregations in the Bay Area should be prepared and vigilant in the wake of what "appear to have been incidents of hate-based acts" in recent weeks, San Francisco Chief of Police Heather Fong wrote in a Jan. 9 letter addressed to the San Francisco Interfaith Council for distribution to its members.
Fong urged congregations to be on the look-out for "suspicious or threatening phone calls, voice mails, e-mails or letters" as well as "any suspicious packages, particularly if the item displays evidence of powder, residue, stains or liquid, or if it shows any sign that it may be a potential explosive device or biohazard."
She asked that the police be contacted if graffiti or other damage was detected at church or memorial sites and that "suspicious persons hanging around religious or memorial facilities" be reported.
"I write at this time out of concern born of recent events," she said, citing incidents of "vandalism and threatening communications."
On Jan. 4 San Francisco's Most Holy Redeemer Parish was defaced by a spray-painted message apparently alluding to Church support of the passage of Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment to define marriage as only valid between a man and woman.
On Jan. 5 archdiocesan personnel discovered Pastoral Center walls, windows and walkways hit by anti-Prop 8 graffiti.
On Nov. 21 Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco received a suspicious package containing batteries and a purple liquid in a plastic bag. No message was included.
"These indidents of intolerance are in direct conflict with the spirit of the city that we all love," Fong wrote.
(From January 16, 2009 issue of Catholic San Francisco)
