Cedar Rapids police investigating possible hate crime

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Cedar Rapids police are asking for information from the public as they investigate a possible hate crime.

Officials said they received reports from at least four different residences in southeast Cedar Rapids where resealable plastic bags were found that contained a letter with a fascist symbol and the words “White Pride” on it.

Police are trying to determine if these incidents are a hate crime under federal statutes.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department said it is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

Anyone with information related to these incidents should contact the Cedar Rapids Police Department at (319) 286-5491.

Mayor Brad Hart said, “Cedar Rapids is a community where everyone should feel welcome and safe, especially in his or her own home. Acts of hate are not, and will not be, tolerated. They are an affront to the values of our residents and city leadership. It is our responsibility to care about each other, and incidents that target our neighbors and their families have no place in Cedar Rapids.”

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