The Edmonton Police Service’s hate crime unit has opened an investigation into a series of recent incidents at a west–end home involving the theft of Pride flags and the unusual delivery of a sign with a hateful message.
It all started when Kelsey Voelker and her nine-year-old daughter heard a noise at their home’s front door one evening in mid-June while eating dinner. Thinking the noise may have been a package delivery, they didn’t check outside until they’d finished eating, discovering a small Pride flag that had been hanging from their mailbox was missing.
“It’s important to me to show ally-ship with our LGBTQ friends,” Voelker told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.
Over the next month, she says there were more thefts of property from her Webber Greens home. Another flag Voelker hung to replace the stolen one went missing as did a lawn sign with the words ‘Hate Has No Home Here’ with inclusivity stickers on it.
The thefts are among a series of eight or nine incidents outside the front door – doorbell-ringing, door-knocking and a group of boys kicking at the screen door – that prompted Voelker to contact police and install a security camera.
“I would absolutely say it feels like we’ve been harassed for weeks in our own home,” said Voelker. “We never previously had a security camera system. I’d never felt the need to have one before. I’d always felt quite safe in our little neighbourhood with our nice neighbours, but after several of the incidents recently, we did get the camera. I’m looking at getting full-time security now.
“It almost feels a bit torturous. You never know when the next time they’re going to come and bang on the door.”
Then this week, the camera picked up video of masked boys coming to the door on two separate nights, touching the door and taking photos of it with their smartphones. It culminated on Tuesday night with a pair of masked boys throwing a broken screen door onto the front steps of Voelker’s home with a sign taped to it, reading ‘God On Top, Pride is Evil.’
Voelker’s husband, Brock Beverley, and a neighbour chased after the suspects but did not apprehend them.
“It seems like a bit more than just mischief. These do seem like targeted, intentional hate crimes against a marginalized group of people,” said Voelker. “It’s incredibly scary that it’s happening in my neighbourhood. I know the sentiment exists everywhere, but it’s very scary that it’s happening to us.”
On Thursday, Edmonton police confirmed to CTV News Edmonton that they’re aware of the incidents.
An EPS spokeswoman said the EPS Hate Crimes and Violent Extremism Unit has contacted Voelker and is investigating.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa