Police station, vehicles vandalized on South Street
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are investigating a number of vandalism incidents at a South Philadelphia police station that damaged three vehicles and a building.
MORE: Plaques honoring Philadelphia Police officers defaced
"It's some of the most idiotic, cowardly behavior I've ever seen," Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. This after vandals struck on South Street overnight defacing a police mini-station with red paint and busting out windows of two police vehicles.
"That's two cars that are out of service before you even get to the damage and financial costs," the commissioner said.
As work crews cleaned off the red paint Friday, police told FOX 29 the vandals struck around 11 p.m. Thursday night in the 900 block of South Street. Police cameras and private surveillance equipment captured a group of about 10 to 12 men dressed all in black fleeing the scene.
"If you have an issue with law enforcement in some shape or fashion, which is your right, it's not the way to do it," the commissioner added.
Police say they also recovered glass bottles filled with red paint, a detonated smoke grenade and a hammer protruding from a smashed police car window, along with anarchist, anti-police pamphlets on the roadway.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to identify who's responsible," Ross said.
This incident comes after repeated acts of vandalism directed at police in the past few months. In July, vandals painted anti-police slogans on 25th Street in South Philly. Last month, vandals defaced police plaques memorializing officers killed in the line of duty.
No officers were injured in the incident. Police are considering a reward for information leading to an arrest.