Anti-semitic Symbols are Spray-painted on Houses in Three Westford Neighborhoods

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Westford Police are asking residents to check their security cameras for  footage that might help identify who defaced houses and signs overnight. On July 31 antisemitic symbols such as swastikas and the star of David were discovered in three sections of town.

The crimes come at a time when the town is struggling to meet pandemic regulations inside school buildings and to bridge a widening budget gap that comes with the necessity of more space for students and more school buses to support 6 feet of social distancing. In addition, Westford-based Facebook pages are filled with angry exchanges on a myriad of topics. Positions are so polarized that residents Brian Mahony and Kirsten DeVrieze Mahony started a new Facebook page called “Kindness Westford.”

Westford Police Capt. Ronald Paulauskas said three neighborhoods were marked overnight with spray-painted images. The symbols were discovered in the areas of Lakeside Terrace, Russell’s Way, and Pine Ridge Road.

“These incidents are being investigated as hate crimes,” said Paulauskas.

Police went door to door asking residents if they saw or heard anything or noticed any suspicious activity, including vehicles driving by their homes, he added.

Residents with any information are asked to contact Westford Police at 978-692-2161.

Disclosure: Joyce Pellino Crane is a voluntary moderator for Kindness Westford.