NEW WESTMINSTER โ New Westminster police are investigating after swastikas were drawn on multiple vehicles in the city over several days, an act community leaders called an unmistakable attack on Jewish safety and a troubling sign of rising antisemitic intimidation across Canada.
The New Westminster Police Department said the first incident is believed to have occurred overnight on Oct. 3. A motorist discovered a swastika on his parked vehicle the next morning near Nanaimo Street and 12th Street. While officers were investigating that report, they discovered at least one other car in the area had been similarly defaced. A further report was received on Oct. 6 of an additional vehicle vandalized in the same neighbourhood.
Officers have canvassed the area for security camera footage and other evidence, but have not yet identified a suspect. The police public information release said the matter has been referred to the Provincial Hate Crime Unit for further investigation. The department asked anyone with information or dash camera footage from the area between Oct. 3 and Oct. 6 to contact investigators.
Seeing Nazi symbols in a community setting is deeply disturbing, Sergeant Andrew Leaver of the New Westminster Police Department said in the police statement. โThis kind of vandalism has no place in New Westminster. We take these incidents seriously and are working to find whoever is responsible,โ he said.
Jewish and pro-Israel community leaders responded with alarm. They described the vandalism as part of a broader pattern of intimidation that has targeted Jewish Canadians since the outbreak of hostilities last year. Advocates said that even when incidents do not result in physical injury, symbols of hate have a profound psychological effect and degrade the sense of security for Jews and supporters of Israel.
โSwastikas are a direct attack on Jewish people and on the memory of those murdered by the Nazis,โ said a representative of a local Jewish advocacy group. โWhen these symbols appear in public spaces, it sends a clear message of threat. Municipal leaders and police must pursue these incidents vigorously, and institutions must adopt zero tolerance for intimidation linked to Jew-hatred.โ
The referral to the Provincial Hate Crime Unit reflects the severity with which law enforcement treats hate-motivated vandalism. Hate crime investigators have specialized resources and protocols to examine motive and to determine whether offences should be prosecuted as hate crimes under the Criminal Code. Community advocates urged the Crown and police to be forthright in treating these acts as bias-motivated offences when evidence supports it.
The incidents in New Westminster come amid heightened anxiety within Jewish communities nationally. Organizations that track antisemitism have reported increased incidents on campuses, online, and in public spaces. Community leaders said authorities must move beyond statements of condemnation to measurable action, including rapid investigations, public reporting, and preventative measures such as improved lighting, surveillance partnerships, and outreach to neighbourhoods where Jewish families and businesses live and work.
Police encouraged anyone with information to call the New Westminster Police non-emergency line or to submit tips online. They reminded residents that even seemingly small pieces of footage or observations can be vital to identifying a suspect and establishing motive.
For Jewish and Zionist organizations, the New Westminster vandalism is another reminder that symbolic attacks can presage more serious threats. Those groups reiterated calls for municipal leaders, educational institutions, and law enforcement to prioritize the protection of Jewish Canadians and to treat the use of Nazi symbols as part of a pattern of hate that must be disrupted promptly and publicly.
This article is based on verified information from the New Westminster Police Department media release and social posts, CityNews Vancouver reporting, RMOutlook, and regional press coverage.