Durham said the vandalism only adds to a tense week for Richmond officers, who have been on edge since a gunman opened fire on a protest in Dallas last Thursday, killing five officers. That protest was one of many nationwide after police shot and killed two black men — Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., and Sterling.

Over the weekend, Richmond police received an anonymous phone threat that later turned out to be a hoax.

“These are trying times for law enforcement, but we’re doing everything we can ... to make sure we don’t have those incidents that we see across the country,” Durham said.

“What we don’t want is for (officers) to be so on edge that they make a mistake,” he said.

The vandalism came a day after police met with the community in a forum at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.

“One thing I can say with confidence is that we don’t have the issues that are surrounding other law enforcement agencies (in the country),” Durham said. “We have a wonderful city, a diverse city.”

As an example, Durham said, there has been an outpouring of support in the wake of the vandalism, with several residents bringing flowers to the memorial.