Police are reviewing waterfront surveillance video hoping to catch those responsible or stealing 24 American flags and placing some of them in trash cans.
Organizers of the 2013 Connecticut Schooner Festival were notified of the theft on Monday morning and filed an immediate police report.
The festival organizers had put up 146 flags across the fence at the city pier.
“It makes me so angry, just so angry to the extent you almost don’t want to do it anymore, you know? You just don’t want to do it”, said CT Schooner Fest Chairman John Johnson.
Representative Bruce MacDonald was also outraged.
“It’s a despicable act and I think somebody who would take the flag and in some cases put them in the garbage cans, has got to have a screw loose”.
Mayor Daryl Finizio, who is an honorary chairman of the event, says that heavy surveillance in the area of the theft should help investigators.
“I’ve been in touch with the police department and we are in the process of reviewing surveillance video and also talking to potential witnesses as part of our investigation”.
Deputy Police Chief Peter Reichard tells FOX CT they are narrowing down the time when the theft may have taken place to assist with review of the video at Waterfront Park.
“There is a two week window from when they were erected to when they were discovered to be missing. There are no suspects as of yet. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 860-447-5269. All calls are confidential”, said Reichard.