Cobourg police are investigating after the Light Armoured Vehicle III (LAV)
Monument was vandalized in Cobourg. The Cobourg Police Service became aware of the graffiti the morning
of Sunday, January 3, thanks to a tip from Today’s Northumberland.
Sometime between the evening of Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3rd, the Light Armoured Vehicle III
(LAV) Monument at 700 D’Arcy Street, Cobourg, was defaced with spray paint. Damaging property is a criminal
act, known as mischief under section 430 of the Criminal Code of Canada. The Cobourg Police Service Forensic
Identification Services team has processed the site, and the Town of Cobourg Parks and Recreation staff have
removed the graffiti.
“Having your personal opinion is fair. It is in the Canadian Charter of Rights, but when you deface someone
else’s property, that becomes a criminal issue. Someone decided to deface a memorial to war veterans – a
complete disregard for the thousands of Canadian Armed Forces personnel who served and the 162 Canadians
who died for peace and freedom to the people of Afghanistan,” says Chief Paul VandeGraaf, Cobourg Police
Service. Defacing a memorial dishonours those who sacrificed their lives, their families and the women and
men who served that continue to struggle with those invisible wounds that come with their sacrifice. It’s a
disgrace, and I ask anyone that has information to come forward.”
The Cobourg Police Service is asking anyone with information to come forward. Anyone in the area of 700
D’Arcy Street between Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3, who saw anything suspicious or may have
dash camera footage, please call police at 905-372-6821 to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-
TIPS or leave an anonymous tip online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.