Continuous vandalism has been dealt to community facilities within Riverbank Park in Yass, including damage to trees, the playground and the restroom.
Labelled as “senseless damage” by the Yass Valley Council, an increase in damage could have the Council paying several hundred dollars to fix.
A callout has been issued online by the Council to report anything suspicious. If anyone were to witness someone actively damaging property, they are advised to report it to the police immediately while keeping at a safe distance.
To assist Police, it is advised that anyone witnessing the vandalism provide a description of the vandals as well as any suspicious vehicles involved. Clear photos or short videos of the damage and suspects help greatly, but only if it does not put the viewer in danger.
Members of the community are reminded to never confront the individuals directly.
The damage has sparked outrage by concerned individuals online, with several now asking for cameras to be installed around the facilities to catch any future culprits in the act.
“No rocket science, put up some cameras,” wrote one comment.
“Good suggestion, except these little ‘darlings’ would wreck them and another cost to us ratepayers and they would still not be caught or punished!” wrote another.
The damage also calls into question whether the vandals were children or not, with several online commenters jumping to gun on assuming an age.
“Makes you wonder about their upbringing. You would hope that the parents would be upset and extremely embarrassed if they knew about this,” wrote one person.
“A continuing occurrence – what a shame these young hooligans are not properly chastised by the law or their parents/guardians.”
Overall, the damage falls to the Council to fix and replace before the community is able to resume enjoying the facilities.
“Let’s look out for our park together,” the Council concluded in their online statement.
“Thank you for your support to protect our precious community spaces.”
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