Without any leads or suspects, the Juneau Police Department has closed an investigation on a vandalism case that involves racial slurs.
Spokeswoman Erann Kalwara says the department received at least three reports of graffiti on Mendenhall Loop Road on Wednesday morning. The Juneau Empire reports the vandalism began on Haloff Way and continued toward the Mendenhall Glacier to Back Loop Road.
Kalwara says there were 10 separate instances of words and phrases found on fences, electrical panels and other private and public property.
“Some of them were racially influenced. Some of them, honestly, I don’t know what they mean. They were a little bit nonsensical, perhaps initials. But a few of them were definitely racially influenced,” Kalwara says.
Kalwara says officers responded to the scene, took photographs and interviewed multiple people in the neighborhood. No one came forward with any information on suspects.
“It’s pretty common for this to be activity that’s conducted by teenagers. There can be different motivations for it – someone looking for attention, someone who’s bored, acting out. There are times when it is racially motivated and there’s times when it’s just somebody with nothing better to do with their time,” Kalwara says.
The graffiti totaled more than $900 in damage. Kalwara says most of it has been cleaned up by the homeowners and the state Department of Transportation.
Kalwara says JPD will further investigate the case if any new information comes forward.
