Police in Bucks County investigating swastika vandalism at golf course near Jewish school
Police said the swastikas were carved into the turf at the Yardley Country Club overnight Friday into Saturday last week.
Police in Bucks County are asking for the public’s help in identifying the perpetrator who vandalized a golf course near a Jewish school with swastikas and an antisemitic slur.
The Yardley Borough Police Department on Monday said the vandalism occurred between Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 a.m.
“During this time, portions of the golf course greens were intentionally damaged with racial slurs and swastika symbols carved into the turf,” the police said.
“This type of behavior is not only a criminal act, but it is also hateful, offensive, and has no place in our community. The Yardley Borough Police Department is committed to thoroughly investigating this incident and holding those responsible accountable,” the police said.
Anyone with information about what happened can contact the Yardley police at 215-493-2782 and ask for Officer Alex P. Bires at extension 411.
“Despicable behavior!” Yardley Councilmember David Appelbaum wrote on Facebook as he shared the Yardley police post about the vandalism.
The incident happened near the Abrams Hebrew Academy.
Rabbi Ira Budow said police came to the school on Monday to review surveillance video, but the school’s cameras did not record the perpetrator.
Budow said he has been director for 46 years and the school has never experienced antisemitism from the Yardley community.
Nonetheless, Budow said the academy has spent $150,000 a year on beefed-up security since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the brutal conflict in Gaza.
A representative for the country club could not be reached for comment.
Adrienne King, president of the NAACP Bucks County Branch 2253B, said in an emailed statement Tuesday night that her organization “was deeply disturbed to learn of the racist and antisemitic vandalism discovered at the Yardley Country Club. Swastikas and racial slurs are not simply acts of vandalism. They carry a painful history and send a message of hate and intimidation that can impact an entire community.”
King said the incident was “especially troubling given other recent incidents here in Bucks County. Just last week, our Branch spoke out following alleged threats containing racist and anti-Muslim language directed toward a historically Black church in our county.”
She added: “We cannot become numb to expressions of hate simply because there is so much happening around us. Each time they occur, we have a responsibility to name them, condemn them and stand with the communities affected.”
