Detective David Bailey said the Great Bend Police Department is close to wrapping up a recent case where someone used window chalk to write racist graffiti on the cars of an African American family.
“Juvenile subjects are suspects and were questioned,” Bailey said, adding the case will be submitted next week to the Barton County Attorney, who will decide what charges should be filed.
 On July 30, Ed McGilber found the “n” word, “I hate blacks” and a swastika scrawled on the windows of his and his wife’s cars on Adams St.
Other Great Bend residents found chalk on their windows over the next couple of days, but those cases appeared to be more random. Usually police advise victims who have their property egged or marked with paintballs or chalk to wash it off and call back if there is any damage.
In the case with racist graffiti, Great Bend Police Lt. Bill Browne said officers took a disorderly conduct case, and considered it a hate/bias crime.
Bailey said a surveillance video from Walmart led police to persons of interest in this incident. One of the vehicles written on belonged to the daughter of a Walmart supervisor.
McGilber said he also suggested checking Walmart tapes to see who purchased chalk.