If you find litter in your yard, throw it away. Captain Scott Tracy of the Frankfort Police Department says that’s no different from how you should treat KKK flyers.
“We know this is not who Frankfort is. You know, we know this is not who we are as a community.”
Tracy said the department does not believe the flyers, which were left in driveways across Franklin county, originate with a local group. They list a 606 area code, a PO Box out of Maysville, and are identical to ones distributed in Lexington, Mount Sterling, and the greater Cincinnati area over the past year.
“We think that they’re using these flyers as a recruiting tool," said Tracy.
The flyers are a call to action, outlining a list of positions and demands which mix current ideological debates with more extreme xenophobic, homophobic, and Christian nationalist dogwhistles. No direct threats against individuals were made. Tracy said he believes the flyers indicate the Klan's weakness, not its strength.
“You know, if you’re busy out recruiting, your numbers are most likely down," said Tracy. "Which is good! We don’t want that part of our history as a country back.”
In a statement released Sunday, the department said they were thoroughly investigating the situation, and that they “will not tolerate acts of hate or discrimination within our community.”
“Hopefully, they don’t come back and spread their propaganda," said Tracy. "You know, it’s one of those things that does kind of disturb, obviously, the community. Frankfort’s a peaceful community, for the most part. We don’t need that here.”
The police department says they have no evidence suggesting an active KKK presence in Franklin County. If you have any information about the distribution of these flyers, you can reach out to the FPD at (502) 875-8525 or by email at frankfortpd@frankfort.ky.gov.