Yorba Linda : Park Vandalism Carries an Ongoing Price Tag

When vandals recently tore up 64 sprinklers at Travis Ranch Youth Park, Mayor Gene Wisner said it was “time to do something about it.”

Citing a $5,000 to $6,000 monthly tab to repair and replace park items broken or stolen by vandals, Wisner said he hopes to increase awareness of the problem in the coming weeks.

“It’s just terrible. We’re building the parks for the youth and some of them are vandalizing,” Wisner said.

The incident at Travis Park, which cost the city about $1,500, was not done haphazardly, recreation director Steve Rudometkin said. “It was very vicious.”

Damage to sprinklers and water fountains is the most common type of vandalism in the city’s 13 parks, Rudometkin said.

The price tag of such vandalism has been “ongoing,” City Engineer Roy Stephenson said. “It’s not new.” . As the city continues to build new parks such as Travis, one of two created in the past year, Wisner said officials will look into new programs to prevent incidents such as the axing of benches at Hurless Barton Park.

“It seems that as fast as we build them, vandals want to tear them down,” Wisner said.