Niagara Falls Man Charged in Hate Crime Mischief Investigation

In March 2026, the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) 2 District (Niagara Falls/Niagara-on-the-Lake) CORE (Community Oriented Response and Engagement) Unit began an investigation into hate speech which had been vandalized on several properties in the City of Niagara Falls.

Officers, engaged with the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Unit (EDI), and investigated 11 vandalization incidents in which hate speech had been spray painted onto buildings on Queen Street, Bridge Street, Erie Avenue, and Zimmerman Avenue. As a result of the investigation, 2 District CORE officers have identified a suspect in the matter, who was arrested on May 8, 2026.

71-year-old Pierre VAILLANT of Niagara Falls is charged with the following criminal offence:

• Mischief under $5000

VAILLANT was released on a Form 10 Undertaking with a future court date.

Officers believe there could be further incidents that have not been reported to police and are asking anyone with information related to this incident to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service at (905) 688-4111, option 3, extension 1008915. Residents and businesses in the area of the incidents are asked to review video surveillance footage and contact police if any vandalization is observed.

Members of the community who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477(TIPS). Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to people who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.

NRPS Incident 2026-54839