The police in this little community seem to be going to great lengths to avoid prosecuting the vandals.
That's the case; here's what was said:
On Tuesday, Police Chief Dennis Kies stood behind the department's handling of the case."We did not observe anybody tearing flags or burning flags,' he said. "The first call we got on this was at 3 p.m Saturday. There were these cups stuck in the fence that spelled out something like 'We Love The USA,' and a woman was rearranging them to read something like 'No War.' She was not burning or tearing up anything at that time.'
Since the woman was not destroying anything, officers left without making an arrest or writing a police report.
Kies said his officers were called to the scene at Whittier Boulevard and Macy Street again at 5 p.m., Saturday and again at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Officers found damage to the display on both occasions but found no one but Tracey Chandler, who maintains the patriotic fence, and her friends near the location.
"On vandalism, a misdemeanor offense, we can't arrest anyone unless it happens in front of us,' Kies said.
"For this to be vandalism, there had to be an ill-will intent," Rees said. Collison must file a complaint for police to take action, he told the newspaper.