Crackdown on Sparta Park Vandalism

Two arrests at Sparta’s South Carter Street Park after a recent string of vandalism.

Sparta Public Works Director Dillard Quick has Sparta increasing patrols and putting up surveillance cameras.

Picnic tables, a door and trail bridge have all been victims of vandalism. Sparta Public Works Director Dillard Quick said the vandalism puts the city in a position where residents could be affected.

“What I’ve thought about doing is maybe closing the parks at dusk but I don’t want to close the parks for the people who use the parks on a daily basis and I think that’s not showing the community the real thing, because there’s so many people who use that park I don’t want to close it for them just because there’s a few knuckleheads going down there and trying to tear everything up,” Quick said.

Fixing the vandalism has cost over $3,000 dollars. Quick said some of the vandalism happened within hours of repairs being done.

“We’ve had a door that’s been knocked out, we installed it one day and it got knocked out that night,” Quick said.

However, with patrols increasing in the park, Quick said suspects are being caught. As the year continues, Quick said he expects the vandalism trend to slow down.

“I really don’t think the cold season we’ll have anymore of this because once the kids get back in school, because of most of these are probably gonna be younger kids that’s doing the damage,” Quick said.