Record-Journal
09-04-2007, 01:59 AM
Regular visitors to Crescent Lake in Southington, Doolittle Park in Wallingford and the linear parks in Meriden have seen their share of vandalism. From fires and destruction of property to simple acts of graffiti, town-owned parks and trails throughout the area have been frequent targets of everything from teenage mischief to gang activity in recent years.
With every act costing towns money and spoiling public fun for area residents, local park and recreation departments and area police forces have teamed up in recent years to put a stop to needless vandalism.
"It’s a real shame what some people do for just no reason at all. It’s like we can’t have anything nice sometimes," said John Gawlak, director of the Wallingford Parks and Recreation Department. "The first thing we have to ask these days is, ‘Is the product vandal proof?’ It would be a much better world if people picked up after themselves rather than destroying things."
The most recent incident occurred in Wallingford, where on July 30, three 14- to 16-year-olds were arrested after they were caught lighting a picnic table on fire. The fire damage was attended to quickly, but the table had to be repaired for safety reasons at an immediate cost to the taxpayer, although restitution may allow those costs to be returned.
Wallingford has had other incidents in recent years as well, including the destruction of a brand-new kiosk along a trail where the Plexiglas was hit so hard it shattered, and with the new playscape at Doolittle Park, which was dismantled and strewn around the area.
At Crescent Lake in Southington, a town-owned park and popular summer spot in the northeast corner of town, residents have complained of burnt portable toilets and picnic tables that have been destroyed, leaving residents without a place to eat.
The Rails-to-Trails park running from Southington center to Plantsville center has also been a target, with four teenagers eventually arrested for repeated spray-paint damage to parts of the trail, as well as graffiti on nearby businesses.
"We do what we can and lock up gates where we have them, but there are always going to be those mischievous people," said William Masci, director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Southington. "We just can’t provide all-over coverage 24 hours a day, seven days week."
Meriden has experienced many of these problems as well, whether in small areas such as Brookside Park, or popular hang-out spots including Hubbard Park and the linear trail. In fact, Detective Lt. Robert Hettrick said gang-related graffiti has been a common problem.
In Cheshire, town parks have had a few cases of vandalism, mainly involving spray paint, but Parks and Recreation Director Robert Ceccolini said they have been able to avoid major incidents.
"We see some, usually at the skate park off Route 10, but it’s not a problem," he said. "Most of the vandalism centers around the kids at the high school who want to paint their names or '2007,' '2008' on the sidewalks."
Ceccolini said the Youth Center can be another target, but the department has controls in place to help prevent it from becoming a major issue.
In all four towns, officers and parks personnel said off-road vehicles and ATVs also create a problem because their use of grass and other soft grounds causes damage that can be difficult to repair. Masci said the damage takes a lot of time to repair and can add to a town’s overtime costs because other chores such as lawn mowing and leaf removal still need to get done.
With so many cases, it may seem a lost cause to try and fight back, but local departments have paired with their police patrols, and representatives of each town said it has helped to make a difference.
When it comes to park department responses, all four towns approach the problem in the same way: as damage is discovered, the items are removed, graffiti is covered or other action is taken to cover up what was done.
Ceccolini said the Cheshire Parks Department also takes preventative measures by applying an anti-graffiti chemical, a spray called Guardian, to reduce the amount of paint that sticks and increase the chance of quick removal. This discourages vandals, Gawlak said.
Furthermore, departments will press charges and file for restitution against anyone who is caught causing damage to public property.
"It’s automatic," Masci said. "That is property that is put there for everyone to enjoy. When you destroy it, it costs the town money, makes it inconvenient for visitors and can cause safety issues. Charges are automatic."
Police also become involved, even in simple spray-paint cases, because many times those who are eventually caught in the act are repeat offenders and can be traced to previous damage. Hettrick said every scene is fingerprinted, pictures are taken and, if problems continue, surveillance equipment is placed as a precautionary measure.
Both Hettrick and Sgt. Lowell DePalma of the Southington Police Department said officers are also trained to read graffiti and determine whether it is gang-related. In Meriden, officers trace such activity and can often determine which property is being claimed as "home turf" or if there is a gang rivalry in the area.
"Most of the graffiti we see today is gang-related," Hettrick said. "The reason for this is they are ‘tagging’ or marking their territory." When this occurs, police call in the Gang Task Force.
In Southington, certain detectives are also trained in gang graffiti and are able to track such activity if it occurs. DePalma said this has not been a common problem in town.
In addition to investigating cases, police have also stepped up on the patrol side. DePalma and Hettrick each said patrol officers are assigned to check each of the park areas. Both departments, as well as the Wallingford Police Department, have bicycle patrols that travel the paths at various times of the day.
Despite these efforts, DePalma said, more help is still needed. The Southington Police Department is well below the state and national averages when it comes to number of officers per 1,000 residents and has requested permission to hire additional officers, some of whom would be trained to provide more bicycle patrol along the trails.
"We are doing the best we can to patrol now, but we just don’t have the help," DePalma said.
Masci, Gawlak and Ceccolini each said there will continue to be challenges in working with the community to provide proper coverage and prevention, but all three said efforts are headed in the right direction.
"If we come together, if we help teach our youth and look out for these parks, they can be a real enjoyable place to be," Gawlak said.
jvallee@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2230
With every act costing towns money and spoiling public fun for area residents, local park and recreation departments and area police forces have teamed up in recent years to put a stop to needless vandalism.
"It’s a real shame what some people do for just no reason at all. It’s like we can’t have anything nice sometimes," said John Gawlak, director of the Wallingford Parks and Recreation Department. "The first thing we have to ask these days is, ‘Is the product vandal proof?’ It would be a much better world if people picked up after themselves rather than destroying things."
The most recent incident occurred in Wallingford, where on July 30, three 14- to 16-year-olds were arrested after they were caught lighting a picnic table on fire. The fire damage was attended to quickly, but the table had to be repaired for safety reasons at an immediate cost to the taxpayer, although restitution may allow those costs to be returned.
Wallingford has had other incidents in recent years as well, including the destruction of a brand-new kiosk along a trail where the Plexiglas was hit so hard it shattered, and with the new playscape at Doolittle Park, which was dismantled and strewn around the area.
At Crescent Lake in Southington, a town-owned park and popular summer spot in the northeast corner of town, residents have complained of burnt portable toilets and picnic tables that have been destroyed, leaving residents without a place to eat.
The Rails-to-Trails park running from Southington center to Plantsville center has also been a target, with four teenagers eventually arrested for repeated spray-paint damage to parts of the trail, as well as graffiti on nearby businesses.
"We do what we can and lock up gates where we have them, but there are always going to be those mischievous people," said William Masci, director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Southington. "We just can’t provide all-over coverage 24 hours a day, seven days week."
Meriden has experienced many of these problems as well, whether in small areas such as Brookside Park, or popular hang-out spots including Hubbard Park and the linear trail. In fact, Detective Lt. Robert Hettrick said gang-related graffiti has been a common problem.
In Cheshire, town parks have had a few cases of vandalism, mainly involving spray paint, but Parks and Recreation Director Robert Ceccolini said they have been able to avoid major incidents.
"We see some, usually at the skate park off Route 10, but it’s not a problem," he said. "Most of the vandalism centers around the kids at the high school who want to paint their names or '2007,' '2008' on the sidewalks."
Ceccolini said the Youth Center can be another target, but the department has controls in place to help prevent it from becoming a major issue.
In all four towns, officers and parks personnel said off-road vehicles and ATVs also create a problem because their use of grass and other soft grounds causes damage that can be difficult to repair. Masci said the damage takes a lot of time to repair and can add to a town’s overtime costs because other chores such as lawn mowing and leaf removal still need to get done.
With so many cases, it may seem a lost cause to try and fight back, but local departments have paired with their police patrols, and representatives of each town said it has helped to make a difference.
When it comes to park department responses, all four towns approach the problem in the same way: as damage is discovered, the items are removed, graffiti is covered or other action is taken to cover up what was done.
Ceccolini said the Cheshire Parks Department also takes preventative measures by applying an anti-graffiti chemical, a spray called Guardian, to reduce the amount of paint that sticks and increase the chance of quick removal. This discourages vandals, Gawlak said.
Furthermore, departments will press charges and file for restitution against anyone who is caught causing damage to public property.
"It’s automatic," Masci said. "That is property that is put there for everyone to enjoy. When you destroy it, it costs the town money, makes it inconvenient for visitors and can cause safety issues. Charges are automatic."
Police also become involved, even in simple spray-paint cases, because many times those who are eventually caught in the act are repeat offenders and can be traced to previous damage. Hettrick said every scene is fingerprinted, pictures are taken and, if problems continue, surveillance equipment is placed as a precautionary measure.
Both Hettrick and Sgt. Lowell DePalma of the Southington Police Department said officers are also trained to read graffiti and determine whether it is gang-related. In Meriden, officers trace such activity and can often determine which property is being claimed as "home turf" or if there is a gang rivalry in the area.
"Most of the graffiti we see today is gang-related," Hettrick said. "The reason for this is they are ‘tagging’ or marking their territory." When this occurs, police call in the Gang Task Force.
In Southington, certain detectives are also trained in gang graffiti and are able to track such activity if it occurs. DePalma said this has not been a common problem in town.
In addition to investigating cases, police have also stepped up on the patrol side. DePalma and Hettrick each said patrol officers are assigned to check each of the park areas. Both departments, as well as the Wallingford Police Department, have bicycle patrols that travel the paths at various times of the day.
Despite these efforts, DePalma said, more help is still needed. The Southington Police Department is well below the state and national averages when it comes to number of officers per 1,000 residents and has requested permission to hire additional officers, some of whom would be trained to provide more bicycle patrol along the trails.
"We are doing the best we can to patrol now, but we just don’t have the help," DePalma said.
Masci, Gawlak and Ceccolini each said there will continue to be challenges in working with the community to provide proper coverage and prevention, but all three said efforts are headed in the right direction.
"If we come together, if we help teach our youth and look out for these parks, they can be a real enjoyable place to be," Gawlak said.
jvallee@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2230