City of Tampa attempts to curb vandalism with 'Love your Park' campaign
TAMPA, Fla. - The city of Tampa is launching a campaign to decrease vandalism at city parks, which it says has increased over the course of this year.
"We should not be dealing with this foolishness," said Adriana Colina of the city of Tampa. "And in Tampa, we won't be."
The city of Tampa is calling the outreach effort the "Love Your Park" campaign.
On Friday, crews were dispatched to Ballast Point Park to fix a fish cleaning station destroyed by vandals. Someone also put graffiti on interior and exterior walls of the bathroom and cut three water lines. The total damage to the park is $5,000.
"We do receive complaints from people asking what is taking you so long to install this fence, or restripe this basketball court, and this is why," said Colina.
Fires were set in the bathrooms at Highlands Pines Park in East Tampa, Skyview Park in South Tampa, and at Foster Park near Gandy Blvd.
At Cuscaden Park in Ybor City, the bathroom door was destroyed.
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"It is sad that is where it has to go and that is what people target, small children and where they are playing," said one Tampa resident.
"It is very disturbing," another Tampa resident shared. "I bring her twice a week to play. Every time I come here it looks like it is getting progressively worse."
The parks department has spent $30,000 this year to repair more than a dozen incidents of vandalism. Now, police resources are being spent to catch those responsible.
"We do have investigative leads," said Maj. Eric DiFelice of Tampa Police. "I can't go into great detail about it. But we are quite confident."
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It's not just about the vandalism, it's also about the fact that parks should be places to get away from life's difficulties.
"If you don't do it in your own house, why are you doing it in the parks? These are our homes collectively as a community," Colina stated.