Distribution Of Racist Literature Investigated On Shore

EASTON, MD – Maryland State Police are investigating the distribution of racist literature found in a Talbot County community over the weekend.

On the morning of March 31, 2019, a resident of St. Michaels contacted the Easton Barrack and reported racist literature had been found distributed in driveways in the community. A trooper responded and his subsequent investigation found that the material had been left at residences predominately in the area of Riverview Terrace and Cove Road in St. Michaels.

The printed material indicates it is produced by the Ku Klux Klan. It espouses racist views toward African Americans, Jewish people, American Indians, and others. The material also solicits people to join the KKK. The flyers were found in clear plastic baggies. The bags also contained birdseed, which provides weight, enabling the package to be thrown into a driveway and remain there.

The trooper forwarded information from his investigation to the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center, the state’s fusion center, where local, state and federal authorities, including the FBI, were made aware of the incident. Information was also provided to the Eastern Shore Information Center, which is a local multi-jurisdictional task force of law enforcement agencies in the region.

This is being documented as a hate/bias incident as per the Maryland Public Safety Article Title 2-307. However, the investigation has not established evidence that a crime has been committed. Troopers and allied law enforcement agencies will continue to document incidents like this and investigate them thoroughly. If elements of a crime are found, immediate action will be taken in cooperation with the local state’s attorney’s office.

Any hate/bias incident, to include literature distributed in this way, should be reported to local law enforcement. In addition, the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center tips line is always available at 1-800-492-TIPS(8477), where citizens can report suspicious activity possibly related to terrorism or violent crime. The information will then be communicated to the appropriate local, state or federal law enforcement agency for follow-up.

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~ MD State Police