POCATELLO — The president of Idaho State University spoke out against hate crimes on Thursday after three vehicles belonging to foreign students at the university were vandalized.

ISU President Kevin Satterlee issued his written response via email and social media to the university community on Thursday afternoon to what he referred to as crimes on ISU’s campus targeting international students.

“This morning I was made aware of an incident on our campus involving the vandalism of three student vehicles,” Satterlee wrote. “The vehicles belonged to international students, and this appears to be targeted. The Pocatello Police Department was immediately notified, and a thorough investigation has been launched. Our team has reached out to the impacted students to offer support, assistance and respond to their concerns.”

ISU officials said the foreign students’ vehicles were egged and had their tires slashed while parked at a student housing complex on campus.

ISU spokesperson Stuart Summers said the three vehicles were vandalized on Wednesday night and the foreign students’ reported the vandalism to ISU Public Safety on Thursday morning.

Summers said the vehicles were parked at the Ridge Crest student housing complex on ISU’s campus when the vandalism occurred.

ISU Public Safety officers promptly contacted the Pocatello Police Department after receiving the reports of the vandalism. Pocatello police confirmed on Thursday evening that they are actively investigating the reports of vandalism and following up on several leads. If you have any information about the vandalism, please contact Pocatello police at 208-234-6100.

Security cameras on ISU’s campus captured footage of the suspects’ vehicle, which is described as a black Dodge Avenger.

Additional ISU Public Safety and Pocatello police officers will specifically patrol the Ridge Crest student housing complex area until further notice because of the crimes, Summers said.

Three years removed from similar yet more serious incidents that involved approximately 50 ISU students from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reporting they were the victims of off-campus home burglaries and vehicle vandalism over a period of several weeks, Summers said the current university administration wants to stress the most recent acts of vandalism are not at all a reflection of the attitudes shared by the university or community.

“The Idaho State University community aims to foster an environment of compassion, inclusion, respect and dignity,” Satterlee wrote. “These acts are not consistent with those values, and we will support the Pocatello Police Department as they investigate these matters, while simultaneously supporting our impacted students.”

Satterlee wrote that he also reached out to Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad about the vandalism and the mayor has echoed his sentiments.

“Mayor Blad believes that crimes of this nature are not acceptable and hopes to see the perpetrators swiftly brought to justice,” Satterlee wrote.

In addition to offering to relocate the international students whose cars were vandalized to another ISU housing complex, the university made it clear to the affected students that the school takes hate crimes seriously and will do anything and everything to ensure all of its students feel safe on campus.

Satterlee encouraged all ISU students, faculty and other employees who may be in need of support or assistance to reach out to Kris Clarkson, ISU’s director of student life, by email, clarkri3@isu.edu, or phone, 208-282-2315.

ISU’s international students can also contact Shawn Bascom, assistant director of admissions/international programs, by email, bascshaw@isu.edu, or phone, 208-282-5304.

Other available ISU campus resources include University Housing (208-282-2120), Counseling and Testing Services (208-282-2130) and the Office of Equity and Inclusion (208-282-3964).