NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — On a warm spring day, you would normally find kids playing at parks. But in Nassau County parks, like the Tributary Regional Park, you might instead find tire tracks on the field, making it unsafe for children to play.
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“We’ve had some people come through with different motorized vehicles and just get on this nice soccer field and kind of help themselves to do some donuts,” said Parks and Recreation Director Jay Robertson.
Robertson said this is a growing problem that has gotten worse this year. He explains that these recent acts of vandalism occurred four times in the last eight weeks.
“For us to address a situation like this, it takes about six guys and half a day,” Robertson said.
Videos show the grounds crew being pulled from their regular duties to fix the damage.
To address the problem at this park, Robertson said they had to reallocate funds to install a brand-new fence.
“We haven’t seen any incidents since we put this up. You know, it cost the taxpayers about $12,000 to get this installed,” according to Robertson.
More disturbing vandalism occurred at Nassau County Crossing Park, where sinks were detached from bathroom walls, toilet seats were spray-painted, and mirrors were broken.
“This just really takes away from the ambiance of it,” Robertson added.
The county is reminding people- property damage like this can lead to criminal charges.
Robertson says they have not yet identified the individuals responsible for the damage but are looking into upgrading security at their parks.
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