Newton officials are wrestling with what to do about vandalism after parks and recreation director Jay Powell alerted them June 18 to damage at Wade Park during a Board of Aldermen Meeting.
“There’s a tremendous amount of damage to just about everything,” he said.
Powell told the board vandals had damaged light fixtures by throwing bricks, cut locks, driven a truck into the concession stand and torn up the playing fields driving 4-wheelers.
“What do you think it’s going to cost to fix?” Mayor Murray Weems asked.
So far, Parks and Recreation has spent about $300 replacing locks. A contractor was hired to fix the light fixtures, Powell said, adding the park is close to peak season for pavilion rentals, so it was crucial to get the lights fixed immediately. An estimate on the cost was not yet available.
Fixing the concession stand, however, will take some work. Powell said repairs would require “almost a full rebuild” on two sides of the building.
“It’s a metal building, and they caved in one side, one corner of it,” he said. “It’s going to be a takedown on two sides.”
While Powell works to repair the damage to Wade Park, Alderman Eric McCalphia said something needs to be done to deter future vandalism.
Police Chief Harvey Curry suggested installing cameras throughout the park to catch vandals in the act.
“We need some cameras out there, we really do,” he said.
McCalphia agreed, advising Powell to look for high-definition cameras that would work in low light.
“The thing about it though, you’ve got to get something that’s going to serve some purpose,” McCalphia said. “If you can’t see what you’re looking at, it ain’t doing no good.”
The board voted to authorize Powell to gather quotes on security cameras that would work for Wade Park. McCalphia said having that data would help the board get a better picture of how to move forward.
