Release:

On October 3, 2020, police received a report of damage to a sign directing visitors to the headstone of Canadian icon Ms. Viola Desmond located in Camp Hill Cemetery located on Summer Street in Halifax. Upon arrival, officers found three highly offensive words written with a marker on the sign. We can confirm that the incident is being investigated by the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division as a hate crime.

Anyone with information about the incident or who may have video from any of the areas where the incident occurred is asked to call police at 902-490-5020. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or by using the P3 Tips app.

Police would like to reinforce that such actions within our community are unacceptable, and anyone planning to initiate or copy such actions can expect to face serious consequences. We are conducting a full and thorough investigation, and we seek the public’s support in sending us any information they think may assist investigators with this incident.