Howard County police increased their reward for information that helps police solve the recent spree of hate crimes in Ellicott City to $1,000 on Tuesday.
“This is a top priority for us,” said police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn. “We have devoted significant amount of resources to this investigation.”
Police said they have discovered eight incidents of white supremacist graffiti chemically burned into the lawns of Ellicott City homes within the past week. The incidents provoked outrage from the residents of the multicultural neighborhood targeted.
The Police Department has now assigned detectives from its Criminal Investigations Bureau ? instead of patrol officers ? to delve into the crimes.
Police also have distributed new fliers and continue to knock on doors and talk with residents. Officers also have spoken with representatives of the county Office of Human Rights and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Police also Tuesday released up-to-date statistics that track 24 hate-bias incidents in the county this year, 12 of which occurred in Ellicott City. Police count the eight houses vandalized in Ellicott City last week as one incident.
Howard County police define a hate crime as a crime motivated by a person?s race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. A hate bias incident is fueled by the same motivations, but does not rise to the level of a crime.
The increase from $500 was welcomed by the county?s NAACP chapter.
“It?s a positive move, to try to apprehend these hate crime perpetrators,” said Jenkins Odoms, president of the Howard County branch of the NAACP, which has arranged a community meeting with police to address the incidents.
