By Andrea Pettes
 
March 12, 2010
 
MEDFORD, Ore. - Medford Police detectives are investigating whether recent crimes were racially motivated.
 
A Downtown Medford shooting Wednesday started with the suspect making racial comments. Days later, detectives are looking into racial slurs carved into an East Medford tree.
 
Medford Police say they still regularly deal with biases between racial and ethnic groups. Though they cannot determine if more hate crimes are popping up, officers say the number of cases change each year.
 
A man who lives off Siskiyou Avenue says he noticed markings, a racial slur and the letters 'KKK', carved on a tree outside his apartment about a week ago. He reported it to police on Wednesday.
 
"We have to go in with the idea that 'yeah, this was racially motivated', and investigate it from there. And sometimes we run into a dead end," said Bob Hansen with the Medford Police Department.
 
This isn't the first time the letters 'KKK' have showed up in Medford. In 2008 Medford made national headlines when the letters 'KKK' and a cross were lit on fire on the front yard of a Medford family's home. That investigation spurred help from the FBI and other agencies that eventually lead to the arrest and conviction of two Southern Oregon men on federal charges.
 
Medford Police say they are still looking into leads and have no suspects in the most recent case.
 
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Medford Police.