BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) – Bellevue city officials are reporting an uptick in vandalism at parks, with recent damage at Washington Park and the future home of the Bellevue Food Pantry costing thousands of dollars.
- Vandals caused $10,000 in damage to the Washington Park bathrooms, marking the third time the facilities have been targeted this year.
- The future home of the Bellevue Food Pantry was also vandalized twice in the last week, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage just before its groundbreaking.
- Bellevue police are increasing patrols around city parks, and officials are considering installing security cameras if the vandalism continues.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Bellevue city officials are reporting an uptick in vandalism at parks and community facilities, with recent damage at Washington Park and the future home of the Bellevue Food Pantry costing thousands of dollars.
City workers found smashed mirrors, broken changing tables, toilets stuffed with toilet paper rolls and graffiti on stall doors at the Washington Park bathrooms. The latest incident caused $10,000 in damage and marks the third time the bathrooms have been vandalized this year.
"I thought it was horrific the amount of damage," Cheryl Stewart said.
Stewart walks around the park with her son every morning.
"It’s just nice to have those nice bathrooms, so I was really devastated to see the vandalism online, it just really broke my heart," Stewart said.
Phil Davidson, communications director for the City of Bellevue, said vandalism around city parks is becoming more common, with an uptick at multiple parks since the fall. Bellevue city officials and council members have worked to improve parks, and the continued vandalism is taking resources away from other projects.
"We want to keep these parks open. Mayor Hike and the Bellevue city council has really emphasized let's improve our parks, let's improve our trails. We are hoping that this doesn’t take away from those efforts," Davidson said.
"It’s very disheartening to see when this stuff happens, so hopefully they catch who did it and I’m hoping and praying it doesn’t happen again," Stewart said.
The vandalism extends beyond the parks. In the last week, vandals targeted the future home of the Bellevue Food Pantry twice.
The suspects broke through windows, drywall and insulation, leaving a mess inside and causing thousands of dollars in damage.
The pantry said the situation is frustrating and the cost is tough to absorb, especially as it prepares to break ground on the new facility next month.
Bellevue police are increasing patrols around several parks. The city is also considering installing cameras in the parks if the vandalism continues.
Davidson said the city is encouraging neighbors to report any vandalism they see.
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