Windsor police investigate Pride flag thefts

The Windsor Police Service says it's looking for a suspect wanted in connection with the theft of two Pride flags in separate incidents at the same Moy Avenue residence.

The incidents took place on May 2 and June 13, the force said Wednesday in a post on social media. 

On May 2, officers said, an unidentified man approached the front porch of the home in the 200 block of Moy Avenue and ripped down the home's Pride flag, breaking the flagpole in the process. 

On June 13, a similar thing happened again.

Investigators are asking residents and business owners in the area to check their surveillance or dashcam footage from May 2 and June 13, 2025, between 8 and 10 p.m., for evidence that may help with the investigation. 

They are also asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the major crimes unit or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

The president of Windsor-Essex Pride Fest said thefts of Pride flags occur every year during Pride month in June and around Windsor-Essex Pride Fest in August.

But not everyone reports the incidents to police.

"A couple of friends of mine, they've had theirs torn — like taken right out of their backyard — and they're like, 'You know what? Obviously they needed the flag more than we did,'" Wendi Nicholson said.

"Of course, they were being sarcastic."

The festival enjoys a positive relationship with the Windsor Police Service, Nicholson said, and she took part in a Pride flag raising at police headquarters on June 2.

"Whether they find the person, I highly doubt it," she said of the Moy Avenue incidents. 

"At least people have the idea that, 'Hey, you know what? The police are watching out for the 2SLGBTQIA community."