Shreveport Parks Struggle As Vandalism Rises

Vandalism is a big problem for public facilities across our area. It's happening at parks all around Shreveport. SPAR Director Shelly Ragle recently told the City Council it has become a serious concern. She says vandals regularly get into Independence Stadium and cause all kinds of damage.

Ragle also says local parks have been hard hit.

A recent post on the South Highlands Neighborhood page shows damage to some of these durable benches. You would not think you could damage these benches. But someone did.

This kind of destruction impacts all of us, because SPAR crews will now have to go out and probably remove the benches because they are no longer secure. And the city will have to find the money to replace the benches.

Betty Virginia Park is not the only spot that has been hit. Ragle says she gets regular calls about damage to our parks and other public buildings. A woman recently stole a key from a power box at the new police substation on Monkhouse shutting down power to the building.

Ragle says the city has limited funds to replace or repair this kind of damage. She has told the Council it is very frustrating to try to maintain all of our public parks and facilities when vandals continue to cause problems.

KEEL News has gotten questions about why the lights are kept on at Independence Stadium all night and Ragle explains that by saying it's an effort to keep the vandals out or at least keep them from causing damage if they do break into the complex.