Arlington Police report they've identified a 23-year-old man they say slapped a sign reading "All" atop "Black" on a "Black Lives Banner" at the First Parish Unitarian Church on Nov. 25.
In a statement, Police Chief Frederick Ryan says:
Instead of arresting and prosecuting the suspect, the Police Department, after consulting with Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) and church leadership, has decided to seek a community-based restorative justice solution, whereby the suspect will be required to make restitution to the church and perform community service in order to avoid a criminal charge of Destruction of a Place of Worship.
Police say they were led to the man, whom they did not identify, by a witness to the sign vandalism, who took down the license-plate number of the pick-up truck the guy got into when he was done.
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Comments
Help me out with this
By lbb
Thu, 12/03/2015 - 5:18pm
So, help me to understand: if someone comes onto your property and vandalizes something -- "expressing" themselves in the process -- you'd have no problem with it? But you WOULD have a problem with anyone who complained about it?
Legal question.
By anon (not verified)
Thu, 12/03/2015 - 5:40pm
Is this really criminal defacement? In this instance this man put a sign over a sign. It doesn't strike me as destructive of property as in the other instances of vandalism that entailed spray paint and marker on the actual BLM sign.
IANAL, but
By lbb
Thu, 12/03/2015 - 6:45pm
IANAL, but I don't think I'd be entitled to walk up to you and slap a sticker on your T-shirt with a message that I consider more tasteful and appropriate than the one already on it.
"Slapped a sign"
By Neighbor4 (not verified)
Thu, 12/03/2015 - 5:43pm
I don't condone what the guy did.
But "slapping a sign" over another sign (assuming he didn't damage anything). is about the most mild form of vandalism I've ever heard of.
Yes, I realize it's a charged discussion. But its a discussion, nonetheless. Glad he didn't steal the sign, or spray paint it. Etc.
"charged discussion"
By lbb
Thu, 12/03/2015 - 6:47pm
I'm confused about what you're referring to -- can you clarify? Are you saying that the act of going on someone's property and "slapping a sign" over one that they have there is the "charged discussion", or were you referring to what we're doing here?
Hypocrites in Arlington
By Markk02474
Fri, 12/04/2015 - 2:02pm
A Trump sign wouldn't last a week before some card carrying ACLU member or Arlington Democrat would tear it down! Every election season Republican candidate lawn signs get knocked down or stolen. Some kid non-destructively taped over with a more inclusive message rooted in the bible, and the media whores are seeking all the press they can get.
Big, ugly signs that violate zoning bylaws of T-shirt slogans and Twitter hashtags are statements of white guilt by the whitest church around, giving Mormons a challenge. I'd love to see them put their money where their mouth is and get a black minister and grow some black members.
Put up or shut up
By lbb
Fri, 12/04/2015 - 2:33pm
So, try it and report back to us, Skippy. Put a cam on it, though, so that if it does get removed, we'll know that it was a "card carrying ACLU member or Arlington Democrat" doing it, and not your ridiculous ax-grinding self.
some kid non destructively
By Scumquistador
Fri, 12/04/2015 - 4:41pm
trespassed and then altered signage on private property that happened to be a house of worship
are we finally going to get to the part where you admit you're a sociopath? you have absolutely zero regard for laws that don't directly protect or apply to your lifestyle.
UU church has zero regard for town zoning bylaws >1 year
By Markk02474
Fri, 12/04/2015 - 5:27pm
The people of Arlington have been extremely tolerant of the church's really tacky billboards.
See Section 7.03(J)
http://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showdocument?id=26504
explain to me
By Scumquistador
Fri, 12/04/2015 - 5:52pm
the relevance of that with regards to what happened please? are you in favor of vigilantism?
your remark doesn't even make sense. if this was done because of a bylaw they would have removed the thing in its entirety lol.
The church had a BLM banner up for over a year
By Markk02474
Fri, 12/04/2015 - 8:49pm
If the Town had enforced its bylaws against ugly signage, unlawful acts would never have taken place. There is a legal process for filing a bylaw complaint, but stupid kids don't know that and the town doesn't care to take it upon itself to enforce rules against the politically favored/powerful in town, just the underprivileged.
You are such a major....
By Michael Kerpan
Fri, 12/04/2015 - 9:01pm
...{vulgar term deleted}. And you just keep getting worse and worse.
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