TO:                  All Citizens of the City of Atlantic City

                        All Community Leaders and All Community Organizations

                        All Churches, Synagogues and Mosques

                        All Members of the Media

 

DATE:             Monday, May 4, 2009

 

To all concerned:

 

            The Atlantic City Police Department has initiated a criminal investigation into a suspected bias crimes incident reported on May 3, 2009. An act of criminal mischief was perpetrated upon the vehicle of a minority citizen and a hand-written note left upon the vehicle containing a racial pejorative.

 

            The victim’s vehicle was parked in a high-rise parking garage in a non-residential area of the City. Based upon initial information available to ACPD it appears the victim is not a local resident and has no significant ties to the local community. The suspect(s)  remain(s) unknown at this time.

 

            Please be assured that your police department is actively investigating this matter and working with county and state law enforcement officials to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for this incident. The police department fully conforms to the NJ Attorney General’s Bias Incident Investigation Standards in response to any suspected bias incident. Extra patrols will be designated to deter future activity.

 

            Community leaders are urged to interact with their respective groups and assist the police department in keeping the community calm, reducing fear and urging any person with knowledge of this suspected crime to contact law enforcement.

 

            A bias incident is defined as any suspected or confirmed offense or unlawful act which occurs to a person, private property, or public property on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, sexual orientation or ethnicity. An offense is bias-based if the motive for the commission of the offense or unlawful act pertains to race, color, religion, gender, handicap, sexual orientation or ethnicity.

 

            Any person with information concerning this suspected bias crimes incident is urged to contact the Atlantic City Police Detective Bureau at 609-347-5766; Intelligence Unit at 609-347-5894 or 609-347-5780 after business hours. Callers may also contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 during business hours and may use the Atlantic County Crimestoppers Tips Line at 800-654-8477. The assigned case investigator is Detective Joseph Iacovone.

 

 

 

John J. Mooney

Chief of Police