Hitler graffiti swiftly removed
The offensive stencil was reported via social media on 1 May and removed within 20 minutes.
Anti-Semitic graffiti depicting Adolf Hitler was promptly removed from a railway bridge near Dandenong and Normanby Road in Caulfield after swift action by Glen Eira Council and local police.
The offensive stencil was reported via social media on 1 May and removed within 20 minutes of authorities being notified.
Caulfield Police station Commander, Senior Sergeant Al Farrell, said, “Glen Eira Council were kind enough to negotiate with VicTrack to take primacy of the clean up”.
“It was definitely really good to get it done so quickly, out of the public eye.”
The incident, which triggered shock and outrage across social media, highlighted ongoing concerns about antisemitic vandalism.
Senior Sergeant Farrell described the graffiti as “highly inappropriate and deliberately provocative.”
Despite community anger, Farrell noted there was disappointingly little encouragement on social media for people to report such incidents directly to authorities.
“The faster we become aware of it, the faster we can get in touch with the right people to get it removed,” he said.
Police are encouraging community members to utilise multiple reporting channels to alert the right authorities rather than just commenting on social media.
While apprehending perpetrators remains challenging due to limited forensic evidence and CCTV coverage, police are working to identify the offenders.
Senior Sergeant Farrell urges community members who witness such vandalism in progress to call Triple Zero immediately rather than confronting perpetrators.
“If people are motivated enough to be this provocative in Caulfield, you never know what sort of motivations they might have,” he cautioned.
He also warned against social media confrontations that might turn community members into “click bait,” affecting their privacy and employment.
The police commander expressed appreciation for the collaborative approach between authorities.
“We’re really pleased that we could work so cooperatively with council to get on top of this one really quickly,” he said.
Senior Sergeant Farrell reassured the Jewish community of continued police support, saying, “We’ll do our absolute best to try and hold an individual to account where we can.”
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