“Blacks, Whites Lie,” Reads Mystery Message

Westville neighbors are wondering why Arabic notes keep showing up attached to footwear on streetcorners. Police want to know why, too.

Five versions of the note, attached to footwear and usually inside a bag of some sort, have appeared since Nov. 30. They all contain Arabic writing with random insults about different groups, according to top Westville cop Sgt. Renee Forte. Neighbors have found each of the packages in daylight hours and contacted police.

No one group is targeted in the messages, Forte said.

“This is kind of weird. Nothing threatening has happened. We just want to identify who’s doing it to find out why it’s going on.”

Arabic-speaking University of New Haven students living in Blake Street apartments translated the notes for Forte’s cops. One said, ​“Blacks, whites lie,” she reported. Another said, ​“Germans lie.” In one of the notes, the writer warned: ​“Don’t look. You’ll never find me.”

At least one of the notes included the numbers ​“911” written near ​“USA.”

The footwear with the messages began appearing on Nov. 30. The most recent sighting occurred this past Saturday. All but the first appeared at the corner of West Elm Street and Alden Avenue. Here’s what happened, according to Forte:

• Nov. 30: A rain boot was found, attached to a poster with Arabic writing, on the sidewalk at West Elm Street and Marvel Road, by Bikur Cholim Sheveth Achim synagogue. The boot and message, photographed by a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous, are pictured at the top of this story. (None of the notes mentioned Jews, Forte said.)

• Dec. 23: A Sacony sneaker was found on a ​“kid’s step-up stool” next to a utility pole at West Elm and Alden. The note was inside a garbage bag attached to the pole.

• Dec. 24: A shoe was left next to the pole, the note inside a plastic bag attached to the pole.

• Dec. 25: A woman’s Basics running shoe was found on the ground. The note was in a brown shopping bag tied to the pole. The message-dropper left it there shortly before 10 the night before, as captured in this grainy, distant video.

• Dec. 28: A flip flop was on the ground, the note in a bag attached to the pole.

Upon further research, Officer James Evarts learned that shoes can be used to show disrespect in Arabic culture, Forte said. Former President George Bush learned that in a 2008 Baghdad news conference, when a Lebanese reporter named Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw a shoe at him. (Here’s what happened to al-Zaidi as a result.)

Forte asked anyone with information about these incidents to call her at (203) 946‑7560 or to call the general police number, (203) 946‑6316. She sent an email alert to Westville and West Hills neighbors on Monday. ​“We are hoping with the help of the community that someone will see the person responsible placing the packages so we can identify him or her,” she wrote.

The mysterious messages have been a topic of conversation among customers at Westville Quality Market, which sits across the street from the spot where four of the five drop-offs have occurred. ​“I hope it’s nothing,” said market owner Rahul Gandhi (pictured). ​“But if it’s something, you’ve got to be serious about it.”