Vandals paint swastikas in park

No arrests have been made at this time, according to police.

The anti-Semitic symbol was drawn on slides and other playground equipment at the park with permanent marker. Picnic tables and benches have also been broken.

“They took markers and they wrote all kinds of graffiti on the slides in the playground,” Town Supervisor Paul Macko said Wednesday. “We were able to clean it up and get rid of most of it. In the [baseball] dugouts we put sealer and repainted.”

Town Maintenance Supervisor Renee Hamilton told the town board at its Monday meeting that the graffiti has been removed or painted over.

There have been other incidents of vandalism elsewhere in the town, with the recently renovated stained glass windows at Prevost Hall punctured by golf ball-sized holes, Macko said.

Two of the five refurbished windows were broken.

All five windows were renovated prior to the vandalism at a cost of $72,000, financed by a grant from former state Sen. George Amedore’s office and fundraising efforts by Community Partners of Greenville and the town’s Beautification Committee, Macko said.

“One was taken down and shipped to Iowa to get redone,” Macko said.

It is hoped the remaining damaged window can be repaired on-site, he added.

In an effort to stem the graffiti and vandalism damage, the town has installed surveillance cameras at several locations in the community, at Vanderbilt Park, with several by both the North and South barns, the nature trail, concession stand and baseball diamond; near the library; Prevost Hall and elsewhere.

“We have put up cameras. We are trying to nip it in the bud,” Macko said. “We installed cameras at the park and by the library, and we put up signage – maybe that will make it subside a little bit.”

Officials hope the cameras will deter potential vandals and provide evidence to the police in the event damage is incurred.

“The town is taking the initiative to put cameras in to try to protect the taxpayers’ investment,” Macko said. “I ask for anybody who uses the park, if you see something suspicious going on, give us a call. I don’t want to see anybody get arrested or have a criminal record, I just want to see the vandalism stopped. We have a beautiful park up there and people who utilize it really enjoy it.”

Macko said at the meeting that when state police came to investigate the damage, there was nothing that could be done if the vandals are very young. There are no suspects in the case, but if children are involved, there were limits to what the police could do.

Town Councilman Travis Richards clarified that charges can still be brought against a suspected vandal regardless of age, but their age will determine where their case is tried.

“They would still get arrested,” Richards said. “It depends on the age and the crime what court it would go through.”

State Police Public Information Officer Steven Nevel from Troop F confirmed Wednesday that the age of a defendant would impact how the case is handled.

“It depends on the age — how young they are,” Nevel said. “Normally under 13, because it is a misdemeanor, it will be handled in family court.”

Macko called the vandalism “disturbing.”

“We get this vandalism and then I hear from parents that the taxes are so high,” Macko said. “Well, if they stopped doing some of this stuff, maybe they wouldn’t be. We could spend money in other ways instead.”