BOISE, Idaho — Update: Boise Pride said that an anonymous donor provided enough funding to cover the total cost of replacing the pride flags that were stolen or damaged on Harrison Boulevard.
The Boise Police Department is investigating after responding to reports of Pride flags missing from Harrison Boulevard on Wednesday, less than one week after volunteers with the Boise Pride Festival put them up.
21 flags were counted missing from the street and one was damaged, according to a Boise Police spokesperson.
On Thursday, BPD said there are now roughly 35 missing or damaged flags. Police said the flags may have been taken overnight Monday into Tuesday, or Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Officers are asking for information or video of the incident from the public. BPD also contacted each home on Harrison Boulevard - between West Ada Street and West Bella Street - about the incident. Neighbors are reviewing footage from their surveillance cameras.
"The Boise Police department is directing a number of resources to investigate this crime and detectives are working to identify those responsible and hold them accountable," Boise Police Deputy Chief, Tammany Brooks said. "Our officers will not tolerate any crime that targets or makes someone feel targeted because of who they are or who they choose to love."
The Boise Pride Festival has been putting up flags and banners around Boise during Pride month for the past six years. The festival's volunteers put up this year's flags Saturday, June 4.
In June of 2021, 25 of the 29 Pride flags on Harrison Boulevard were also stolen or destroyed, after Boise Police responded to reports of a theft. Officers were immediately able to find the suspect following last year's incident, who was ultimately charged with misdemeanor petit theft.
For questions on reporting crimes involving the LGBTQ+ community, email BPD's LGBTQ+ Liaison Officer, Dan Lister, at dlister@cityofboise.org. For immediate assistance, call 911.
Hanging Pride flags in Boise's North End has become an annual tradition for organizers of the Boise Pride Festival. The flags hang through the end of Pride month each year.
This year's Boise Pride Festival is scheduled for Sept. 9 - Sept. 11 at Cecil D. Andrus Park.
The incident is still under investigation by the Boise Police Department.
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