Just a week after Plymouth Rock was painted red with graffiti, an act that left locals outraged, officials reported having to clean up another act of vandalism — this time at the town’s 9/11 memorial.

A statue of a police officer was found toppled onto the ground, with its head separated from its body, and two nearby lamps were left slanted, knocked off their posts. The statue of a firefighter beside the police officer was left untouched.

More than 25 Plymouth firefighters and officials came out to repair the desecrated memorial on Monday morning.

This morning, a contingent of over 25 Plymouth Fire Local 1768 members were on scene to repair our 9/11 memorial that was desecrated by vandals. They can knock us down, but we will always get back up even stronger. We are firefighters. We never forget. pic.twitter.com/nIpTU8zmm6 — Plymouth Fire L-1768 (@PlymouthFire) February 24, 2020

“They can knock us down, but we will always get back up even stronger,” firefighters wrote in a tweet. “We are firefighters. We never forget.”


Melissa Arrighi, the Plymouth town manager, thanked those who reached out to help repair the “beautiful” memorial in a tweet.

Plymouth will once again rally against those who vandalize and disrespect public property. Our beautiful 911 Memorial will be repaired soon. Thanks to everyone who reached out to help. — Melissa Arrighi (@MelissaArrighi) February 24, 2020

“Plymouth will once again rally against those who vandalize and disrespect public property,” she wrote.

On Feb. 16, Plymouth Rock, which marks the symbolic spot the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts 400 years ago, was painted with the letters MOF and the numbers 508. Officials said red paint also coated a seashell-shaped sign celebrating the upcoming 400th anniversary of the 1620 Mayflower landing, the Pilgrim Maiden statue, and the National Monument To The Forefathers.

We are saddened and sickened by the recent vandalism in our historic town. This is just one of our historic monuments that was hit. We will begin clean up as soon as possible and the police are investigating. pic.twitter.com/kQeTxO7sor — Melissa Arrighi (@MelissaArrighi) February 17, 2020

Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri told The Boston Globe that police don’t think the two cases are connected at this time, and that they have been searching for surveillance footage since they were notified of the incident Sunday morning.

The memorial was unveiled in 2004 and privately funded by businessman Richard Quintal, who donated the land it sits on.

Arrighi said signs of the vandalism have now been erased, and Triumph Masonry, Restoration & Waterproofing LLC, a local husband-and-wife company, offered to restore the statues while T.L. Edwards, Inc. provided mulch and stone dust to restore the site.

All signs of the vandalism has been erased at the Sept. 11, 2001 Memorial. Thank you so much to the Plymouth Firefighters who gathered to take care of this. And to Triumph Masonry for their offer to restore the statues. And TL Edwards & Kingston Block for the mulch/stone dust pic.twitter.com/41ir9ogQVT — Melissa Arrighi (@MelissaArrighi) February 24, 2020

As of now, no arrests have been made in either vandalism case.

Information from the Associated Press was also used in this report.