A Bradford resident is feeling unsafe in the community after he was the victim of a hate crime over the weekend.
John Smith (name has been changed for privacy reasons), has lived in Bradford in the Simcoe Road and Walker Avenue area with his father since 2017 and has always enjoyed the town's small-town community feel.
He has never run into any troubles with anyone in the community, so he was shocked when on Sunday morning he woke up to find both him and his father's vehicles vandalized with homophobic graffiti on the sides, slashed tires and broken windows. Their front door was also damaged.
Police were called to the scene later that morning, where they collected photographic evidence as well as security camera footage of the culprits.
Smith says the crime took place sometime between 1:50 a.m. and 2:05 a.m. early Sunday morning.
The total cost of the damage has not yet been determined as insurance adjusters are set to examine the vehicles on Tuesday. Until the car is fixed, Smith and his dad will need to use rentals from their insurance company.
Smith says he was so upset by the crime, that it forced him to leave his home all day, only to return later Monday afternoon.
"At the moment I am very uncomfortable here," he said. "I don't feel safe in my home."
He is thankful that he has his own security cameras which are helping the police with the investigation process.
"I am very paranoid and stressed out being in this home," he said. "It's not a good feeling."
Smith is working with the police to help solve the crime.
The South Simcoe Police Service is appealing for witnesses and security or dash-camera footage as the investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone who can assist police with this investigation is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Kai Johnson at 905-775-3311, 705-436-2141, extension #1040, kai.johnson@southsimcoepolice.
The South Simcoe Police Service takes all reported hate-motivated crime very seriously and thoroughly investigates all allegations of this nature. They will not tolerate hate in our communities and encourage residents to report any incident that is motivated by hate or bias.
