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NEDERLAND — Police in Nederland don’t know the motive behind the sudden appearance of racist graffiti that popped up in the city and outskirts over the weekend.

Nederland Police Chief Gary Porter said it could be someone performing a TikTok challenge, an idiot into tagging or someone with racist tendencies. Either way he’s hoping residents with information call the police department or Crime Stoppers.

“Idiots like that have to have some type of control over how people feel and what they do, and it’s our job not to let them do it,” Porter said.

The offensive graffiti was discovered Sunday morning and may have been done Saturday night.

The graffiti included swastikas on a stop sign, a car near the high school, on a house on Helena Avenue and racial slurs were placed on Setzer Hardware. Some of the graffiti included the “N” word.

The crime is criminal mischief. However, the amount of damage and cost to repair could push the crime from the lowest Class C to a felony. The amount of damage and repair costs hasn’t been calculated yet.

Porter said police are looking at surveillance cameras and going from there with the investigation.

Porter said he heard some of the graffiti was done in areas just outside the city limits in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction.

JCSO Captain Crystal Holmes said authorities did not receive any calls of graffiti but are aware of social media postings in the county jurisdiction.

Holmes asks anyone with the graffiti to report the crime.

People with information about this crime can call the Nederland Police Department at 409-722-4965 or Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas at 409-833-TIPS or by downloading the P3 Tips app on a smart phone. Tips are anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.