People cutting down swings from Colorado Springs parks, officials say
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department says people have been cutting down swings from neighborhood parks since reopening.
Since reopening the neighborhood playgrounds, officials say the swings have been cut down at the following six parks:
- Bonforte
- Boulder
- Lunar
- Otis
- Roy Benavidez
- Shooks Run
Due to the how frequently the swings have been vandalized and the repair costs, the city announced Tuesday that it won't be able to fix the problem soon.
"Some of these parks have been hit 4 times. We've gone back we've replaced the things that have been damaged, go back in another day or two. Sometimes it's as frequent as 24 hours later we see it happen again," said Kurt Schroeder, Parks Manager for the City of Colorado Springs.
He says vandalism at our city parks is unfortunately not uncommon.
"Every park in our system gets vandalized every year. It's just the way it goes," Schroeder said.
Though he did say the timing of these crimes is a bit strange.
"This started about 2 to 3 weeks ago, generally at the same time when the restriction to access of playgrounds was lifted," he said.
The vandalism and thefts are coming at a high cost. Schroeder says a regular swing runs about $42, while a baby swing is about $200, and the costs don't end there.
"The shackles, which are 6 dollars. The chain we use, which is a very heavy duty chain to assure it lasts as long as possible, is $6.50 A foot," Schroeder said.
If you have any information about this vandalism, you can contact the Colorado Springs Police Department non-emergency line at 719-444-7000.
