White supremacy literature found in Delaware County town; residents, officials appalled
RIDLEY TWP., Pa. - Over the weekend, white supremacy flyers were distributed in sections of Ridley Township. Now, local and county authorities are investigating and asking the public for any information or video of the person or people who spread the hateful material.
Ridley Township Police said the racist literature was reported to the department on Sunday and found on Grace Road in Swarthmorewood and the Manor section of Milmont Park.
"We, on a walk, found four of these little postcards advertising websites with white supremacist propaganda on them," said neighbor Helen Davidson. "They were inside baggies that had rice and other things in them to weigh them down. It looked like someone had tossed them out from a car while driving through at night."
"The fact that they would come around and just do that. It’s not anything in my mind unique to this neighborhood that anyone feels this way so I just don’t get it," said neighbor Jerry Grace.
Captain James Dougherty of Ridley Township Police said the flyers were left on sidewalks and driveways the day before Juneteenth, which he doesn’t believe was a coincidence.
"Something like this divides our community, and we definitely don’t want to have that and I’m sure it’s an outside influence," said Captain Dougherty. "There’s no place for this in our communities. We’re trying to bridge unity and not divide."
Police said, at this point, it doesn’t appear any laws were broken, but detectives are investigating.
The Delaware County Council and District Attorney’s Office condemn and denounce the disturbing act of racism and hate and shared this statement:
Delaware County Council is appalled and denounces any type of racist and hateful literature or acts in our community. Actions that spread hate, incite violence, or intimidate people are not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
This [District Attorney’s] office condemns in the strongest possible terms the sentiment expressed in the flyers, and we are committed to investigating the incident to determine if any laws have been broken. We pledge to all Ridley Township residents – as well as to all residents of Delaware County -- that hate has no home here. If our investigation determines that laws have been broken, we will prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.
Anyone with information on the racist literature, call Ridley Township Police at 610-532-4000 or Lt. William Wright of the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division at 610-891-4170.