Petaluma City Hall vandalized following removal of homeless Steamer Landing residents
Two suspects vandalized Petaluma City Hall on the night of June 15 with spray paint and human excrement. (Photo credit: Petaluma Police Department/June 2022).
PETALUMA, Calif. - Petaluma police are requesting assistance in finding suspects who vandalized Petaluma City Hall Wednesday night.
The vandalism likely comes as a response to the recent removal of homeless people from the city's Steamer Landing Park's encampment.
Upon arriving to work Thursday, a City Hall employee found graffiti at the hall's main entrance and called the police. At the scene, officers found spray-painted graffiti reading "Steamers Landing" in black and "You sweep we strike" in red. Human waste was also found smudged on the building's doors and nearby sidewalks.
The building's video security system, which captured images of the suspects, showed two people in dark hooded jackets vandalizing the site Wednesday at 11:53 p.m.
This vandalism comes days after authorities began removing residents from Steamer Landing Park's encampment of homeless people.
In Oct. 2021, a federal judge prevented the city of Petaluma from removing people from the park until alternative housing solutions were presented to residents. The judge ended the injunction in early May, and later that month, Petaluma police sent a notice to park residents to alert them of their impending removal in June.
Law enforcement officers coordinated with City staff and a hazmat company to remove the graffiti and smeared human excrement on the building. A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the vandalism suspects.