New Smyrna Beach, FL - The City of New Smyrna Beach shares photos of damaged fixtures, splattered paint, and grass torn up by vehicle tires to show the kind of vandalism that has affected the city's parks over the last couple of years.
One photo showed a bathroom sink at Rocco Park that was broken into pieces while another showed a sign post that someone managed to jam into one of the toilets at Holland Park. Other types of vandalism include vehicles tearing up the grass at parks, such as what happened at Holland Park.
There is no exact price on how much the city and taxpayers have spent over the past couple of years to repair these types of damages, but Faith Miller, the city's Maintenance Operations Director, told News Daytona Beach during a phone interview that it's between $6,000 and $10,000.
She added that cost is one thing, but the city's mission is also about keeping the facilities open and in good condition for all to use
"I guess you'd say it's more about pride in keeping city assets functioning and available for residents," said Miller.
Miller further stated that the city is looking at installing security cameras at some of the parks. But staff are running into issues with some parks that lay further out from the city as they can't get the connectivity out there just yet.
"We have been looking into that, but it's a bit of a challenge," added Miller.
Residents who see vandalism in progress are encouraged to call the New Smyrna Beach Police Department (NSBPD). But any other vandalism or graffiti can be reported to the NSBPD's non-emergency line at (386) 424-2000, or to Maintenance Operations at (386) 424-2205.
