Cemetery vandals will be fined for each act of desecration under a new Philadelphia law enacted four months after a city Jewish cemetery was vandalized.
Under the Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism bill signed last week by Mayor Jim Kenney, fines for desecrating objects will be applied to each individual act of vandalizing a headstone, grave marker or gravesite, according to the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent.
The fine for damaging just one headstone is $2,000. For a third violation, vandals can be imprisoned for 30 days.
Councilman Kenyatta Johnson introduced the bill in an effort to amend the city ordinance dealing with hate crimes. It applies to all cemeteries in Philadelphia. He told the Exponent that he introduced the bill “to send a clear message that these hate crimes will not be tolerated.”
“We should not be dealing with any forms of hate and discrimination,” he said. “Those who engage in these types of acts are cowards.”