Police say that an incident of racist and antisemitic graffiti being drawn on the rocks and walls along the walk way into Preston Beach on the Marblehead line is disheartening.

“It’s terribly disheartening in this day and age that people are still out there doing this, with the level of education throughout the world on these issues,” said Swampscott Police Sgt. Jay Locke on Thursday, a day after a passer-by discovered the graffiti early Wednesday morning. “There should be a mutual respect shown toward everyone. It’s disgusting. There’s no room for it anywhere in Swampscott or Marblehead.

“People don’t realize the history and significance of these things,” Locke said. “This is just ignorant behavior.”

Locke said the walker discovered the graffiti and posted on Facebook, after which police were notified.

“It was disgusting,” Locke said. “There were racial slurs, some drawings of swastikas on both the Swampscott and Marblehead sides of the beach.”

Locke said both police departments are working in tandem to investigate the matter, and both worked to cover up the graffiti as much as they could.

“They covered it over,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get the Essex County Graffiti Unit to come down there and remove everything. It’s covered up enough for now. But this is never a good situation.”

Locke said both departments are working hard to apprehend those responsible for the graffiti.

“We’re hoping someone in the area has surveillance footage, or a camera, that may have picked something up,” Locke said. “It would be Tuesday night any time after 6 p.m. or Wednesday morning before 9 a.m. — something that may have triggered something suspicious.”

In the meantime, he said, Swampscott Civil Rights Officer Ted Delano “is working tirelessly” to find those responsible.

The Swampscott Police Department strongly condemns this hateful act which is unacceptable in either of our communities,” Locke said.