LAKE COUNTY — County Public Services Director Kim Clymire is urging citizens who spot vandalism to call the Lake County Sheriff”s Office after four county parks were targeted last week.
Clymire said the vandalism happened after hours at Lakeside County Park, Lucerne Harbor Park, the Clearlake Oaks boat ramp restrooms and Alpine Park in Lucerne between June 12-15.
Clymire said a Sunday night party at Lakeside County Park in Lakeport was likely responsible for the beer bottles and cans littered along the shoreline.
“There were so many beer bottles and cans at the beach area that staff could not pick up the garbage cans to empty them,” Clymire said.
In addition, a section of fencing around one of the park”s baseball fields was pulled out of the ground, a cable designating an area for authorized personnel only was cut for the second time, garbage cans were pulled out of the ground and the women”s restroom was vandalized, according to Clymire.
Restroom handicap signs were missing at the new restrooms at Lucerne Harbor Park, the restroom doors were stuck shut with silicone, and silicone was squirted into the keyhole locks, according to Clymire.
An automatic flusher in the restroom wall at Lucerne”s Alpine Park was destroyed June 12 or 13, which Clymire said will cost the county close to $400 to replace.
“If we start spending money on vandalism, there is not going to be money to buy trees and shrubs, remodel restrooms, buy new playground equipment, repair docks and all of those positive things we are trying to do,” Clymire said.
Vandalism that causes less than $400 of damage is a misdemeanor, according to Chief Deputy James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff”s Department. In order to make an arrest for any misdemeanor, a law enforcement officer must witness the act. Vandalism that causes between $400 and $10,000 of damage can be a felony or a misdemeanor, and it is a felony if the damage is more than $10,000, according to Bauman.
Clymire said he”s considering locking park restroom doors at 8 p.m. “We can”t afford the time and the cost to keep up with the senseless vandalism,” Clymire said.
In his 30 years in the parks industry, he”s seen vandalism happen every year, and said it comes in cycles. Vandalism has been on the rise recently, according to Clymire. He said the rise might be attributed to the fact that school is out for the summer, although he said he has seen vandals as old as 30 in recent years.
“It”s a shame, because we are spending thousands of dollars on cameras now. Maybe we”ll get somebody on film, and maybe that will be enough to help with contacts or an arrest,” Clymire said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
