Chief James Donovan
53 Orchard St.,
Raynham, MA 02767
For Immediate Release
Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Raynham Police Investigating After Newspapers Randomly Delivered to Neighborhood
RAYNHAM — Chief James Donovan reports that the Raynham Police Department is investigating after several KKK newspapers were randomly delivered to a neighborhood in town.
On Aug. 21, around 10 a.m., Raynham Police received a report that 10 houses on Sherwood Lane received copies of The Crusader, the official newspaper of the Ku Klux Klan.
Raynham Police have shared this information and consulted with Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn’s Office, the Anti-Defamation League and the Massachusetts State Police Fusion Center. Unless the literature is targeting a specific group, it is generally protected under the First Amendment and not considered a hate crime or illegal activity. However, anyone with concerns should never hesitate to reach out to the police department to make a report or seek guidance.
“The distributing of this kind of literature is unsettling for members of our community, and we encourage anyone who has been affected or has questions to reach out to us,” Chief Donovan said. “A preliminary investigation indicates that these houses were randomly selected and not targeted. We do not believe there is any threat to the community. Nevertheless, we share the concern of our community members, and we condemn this kind of speech and the hateful ideology behind it.”
Similar incidents to this have been reported in Attleborough, Belchertown, Milford and multiple communities in Maine.
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