Parks’ Fixtures, Equipment Stolen

Someone is sneaking around Long Beach parks late at night and ripping out expensive lighting and irrigation equipment, possibly turning it in for recycling cash, police say.

Thefts from eight city parks over the past two months have cost the city nearly $50,000 in equipment, park officials report.

Worse, they say the culprits are literally taking the fun out of parks for youth sports teams and others who want to use the fields after dark.

“Kids are not having a place to play now” because of vandalizing of lights, city parks manager Phil Hester said.

Three people were arrested and charged with similar thefts earlier this year after a Wilmington recycling center told police that the suspects were trying to turn in odd pieces of copper tubing for money.

But police say the arrests have not stemmed the incidence of vandalism, and they are asking residents to report anyone seen walking or driving in city parks after the 10 p.m. closing time.

Hester said the vandals should be easy to spot because of the effort required to steal items such as lighting panels, which can only be reached by climbing tall poles. He added that vehicles have been used to yank irrigation systems from the ground. He said both types of equipment usually contain only small amounts of recyclable copper.