Wicomico courthouse riddled with chalk graffiti

The newly renovated Wicomico County courthouse looking a little different Monday morning as employees walking into work noticed graffiti all over the sidewalks and stairs leading up to the courthouse.

No Justice, no peace, Winder is scum, and lynching happened here are just a few of the phrases written in chalk all over the steps leading up to the courthouse.
Phrases that now have the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office involved.

Sheriff Mike Lewis tells 47 ABC, “To come to a location like this to express your displeasure, there's a time and a place for everything and to deface or mark a government complex, something that's used for our community every day, is absolutely unacceptable.”

This isn't the first time the John Winder plaque has seen criticism. Locals have voiced their concerns in recent months asking for the marker be taken down for Winder's Confederate ties.

SURJ Delmarva is one critic asking for its removal. In a Facebook post Monday they say they cannot take credit for this action but do say, “Above all else we continue to believe that the foundation of white supremacy that our country was built on cannot be washed away as easily as chalk.”

One local thinks there are better ways to show your opinions.

“I think writing it on the sidewalk is not right because then you're destroying city property, but if you want to disagree with the sign out here you need to do it in a peaceful way,” says Danny of Salisbury, Md.

Sheriff Mike Lewis agrees.

“We're going to hold you accountable. Again I fully support one's ability to express themselves and everyone has a right to do that but once you become disorderly and you start destroying property and defacing property that becomes a law enforcement issue.”

The Sheriff's Office is hoping to identify the suspects by the end of the day Monday and we’re told those suspects will be charged with malicious destruction of property.