Lynn Police hone in on cemetery hate crime

LYNN – The manager of the Pride of Lynn Cemetery, where slabs of pork were left on the Holocaust Memorial two weeks ago, said Tuesday police have a person of interest in the vandalism case.However, Lynn Police would neither confirm nor deny that. Lt. Rick Donnelly said, “I cannot comment at this time,” but Lt. Tom Reddy of the criminal investigation unit – which is spearheading the case – said police will soon be able to provide more information “in the near future.?The investigation is ongoing,” he said. “At this time, I would not be able to offer anything else.”On May 20, a visitor to the monument discovered the pork – which is not allowed under strict Jewish dietary law – had been left on the monument. As a result, the vandalism has been called a hate crime by several groups, including Lynn Police.?There is possible DNA evidence that came from packaging of pork products from the local grocery store that was left there,” said cemetery manager Ron Newberg, who said he is a conservative Jew. “But now police have to match the evidence to a DNA database to find the person held responsible.”Newberg said police have taken an active role in finding whoever was responsible and is pleased with the pace of the investigation, especially having little information initially. He said police have done a great job trying to ferret out information.?To the best of my knowledge, police got right in on it,” he said. “They already found a person of interest, as they say. I have no problems with their police work or speed at all.”Rabbi Yossi Lipsker, co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of the North Shore, who coordinated a peace rally shortly after the incident, was also pleased at the pace of the investigation. The solidarity movement had a showing of about 200 people.?I think the police department is doing a great job,” Lipsker said.Lipsker said he isn?t in the loop of the progress of the investigation but does know the police are taking the hate crime seriously. He called it an internal investigation.Newberg said there are no cameras inside the cemetery, but he is working with Reddy and the police to have them installed as a result of this event. Camera installation will be on the agenda at the next board meeting later this month.The crime quickly made national news from Israel to France. Newberg even received a call from Israel asking about it.?I can?t say why it made national news when thousands of hate crimes happen, but placing pork on the Holocaust Memorial, which represents a genocide and one of the most horrific experiences, is an added insult,” he said.Orthodox Jews do not eat pork products, calling pork impure from centuries of Jewish tradition, while other sects of Judaism assimilate and don?t maintain kosher homes, Newberg said.Newberg said he?s not shocked the incident happened due to the frequency of hate crimes worldwide. However, he called the hate crime unsettling.?To think someone would go out of their way and do this,” Newberg asked. “What?s the motive? There?s hate out there, but why do people think that way? They don?t care about six million Jews who have died?”