Reoccurring act of vandalism forcing Providence leaders to take action

PROVIDENCE — The Cache County community of Providence is tired of its popular parks being targeted week after week with graffiti and is moving forward with installing security cameras in an effort to stop it.

"This way, we'll be able to have those eyes and that attention to go back and hopefully catch people who are involved in these kinds of things," Megan McCuistion, the city's public information officer and treasurer, said.

Over the past year, the city's two popular parks, Von Baer Park and Zollinger Park, have been targeted by vandals with spray-painted pictures, messages, and numbers. In recent months, the tagging has increased and appeared along city streets.

"They're getting bathrooms, buildings," McCuistion said. "Last year, we had damage to the bathroom facilities that had to be repaired."

While the exact cost for the repairs is unknown right now, Shane Hansen, the city's property maintenance supervisor, said city crews have spent countless hours cleaning up the damage, easily costing taxpayers thousands of dollars.

"As you can see it's pretty tough. I've gone through half a can at $15 a can," Hansen said while scrubbing paint off one of the sheds in Von Baer Park Tuesday. "It's just a pain to have to deal with it two or three times a week."

Hansen said Von Baer Park was targeted twice over the past week and a half – in broad daylight. He said one crew member spent four hours Monday scrubbing paint off the inside of a bathroom.

"We've had black paint, we've had yellow paint, but all corresponding symbols and numbers," he said while showing KSL-TV which buildings were damaged. "We've got lots of other things time could be spent on, that is beneficial to the city, rather than cleaning up graffiti."

"Our public works department, they're very thorough and quick to act, but they're only so many guys and they're trying to take care of everything through the entire town of Providence," McCuistion said. "There are only so many of them, and the more that gets added on, the harder their job gets."

McCuistion said the city of Providence has approved nearly $150,000 for security cameras to be added to parks throughout the city. She said once the cameras are installed, they'll be monitored, and anyone caught vandalizing city property will likely face charges.

"There are a lot of other things that are a better use of your time that aren't going to be destructive to other people's property," McCuistion said. "It has an effect on more people than they're probably realizing and thinking about in the moment."

Anyone with information about vandalism is asked to contact the Cache County Sheriff's Office at 435-755-1000 and reference case 24-C5579.

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