CINCINNATI — Sandi Kidd flies a Black Lives Matter flag from the second story of her College Hill home on Cedar Avenue. The placement isn’t to get more visibility -- it’s to keep a vandal from destroying it.
“We’ve got our flags out now, and we’ve got them locked down so he can’t get to them,” Kidd said. “He’s hit my house twice on separate occasions.”
Kidd’s isn’t the only one who’s been targeted by vandals in College Hill. Cincinnati police in District 5, which covers the neighborhood and surrounding areas, said it’s been getting calls about Black Lives Matter sign and home vandalism in College Hill and around the city.
“This is such an important issue right now, not just because it is happening to us but because we are fed up with it and we either stand together as a neighborhood or we don’t,” Kidd said.
Another woman who lives in College Hill captured a video of a man destroying her Black Lives Matter signs and pouring a black liquid on her front porch. She and Kidd both filed police reports.
“I see hate, I see him destroying signs out of anger and out of spite,” Kidd said. “This divisiveness, this nasty attitude, this trying to hold people down because of religion, race or gender it needs to end.”
Despite what damage vandals have done, it's important to Kidd that she continues to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement from her home.
“I just want people to know that this is a safe place,” Kidd said. “I want the kids to know that if something is going on or they need an adult that I’m here and that somebody values their life.”
Police said they are continuing to investigate any reports of criminal damage and are encouraging victims to provide video or pictures of incidents if available.
