Antisemitic Graffiti Found On North Andover Trail

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Antisemitic graffiti was found along North Andover's Mills to Hills trail, the town said Saturday.

The town manager, police chief, school superintendent and Select Board and School Committee chairpeople released a statement condemning the graffiti Saturday morning.

According to the release, police responded to the graffiti and the Department of Public Works is removing it.

The release did not specify when the graffiti was found or include any other details about it.

The police department has increased patrols in the area where the graffiti was found.

"On behalf of the North Andover Town Offices, North Andover Public Schools, and Town Government, we want to reiterate that acts of discrimination, racism and antisemitism will not be tolerated or welcomed in our community," the officials said. "We are a community that embraces our RAISE values, and we will not allow behavior that is not in line with the values that make North Andover so special."

RAISE, part of the school district's anti-bullying code of conduct, stands for Respect, Achievement, Inclusion, Service and Empathy.

"Anti-semitism has no place in our community," the officials said. "We are a town built on respect, inclusion and empathy. We encourage all to reaffirm their RAISE values in the coming days."

The full statement is available here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.