Police: downtown church vandalized over weekend

By Brandi Makuski

Stevens Point police say they’re looking for any information on who is responsible for spraypainting graffiti on The Word Lutheran Church, 1009 Clark St.

The graffiti was reported at 5 p.m. on June 2 by someone at the church, but Assistant Police Chief Tom Zenner said it could have happened anytime over the weekend.

Zenner said whoever was responsible somehow gained access to the church’s roof and spraypainted a penis, an anarchy symbol, and the letters “G” and “D” on the building’s air condition unit in gold and white paint.

Zenner said the two letters could be a gang-related symbol, but it could also mean something else entirely because the symbols don’t really go together.

“Normally, you don’t see a gangster symbol next to a penis,” Zenner said, adding police suspect the culprits may be younger in age.

It’s the latest in a series of graffiti-related incidents across the city in the past month. On May 4, vandals struck the Stevens Point Sculpture Park and nearby Zenoff Park, tagging at least one building and several art installations with sexually-charged graphics and racial slurs in black spray paint.

Another spray-painting incident was reported by employees from the parks department on May 14, telling police two buildings at Pfiffner Pioneer Park were tagged with spray paint. Police are still investigating whether the incidents are connected.

Anyone with information should contact SPPD Sgt. Ben Uitenbroek at (715) 346-1500.