RAPID CITY, SD – Rapid City Parks have had an increase in vandalism with damages to soccer fields, playgrounds and restrooms at three different locations.
Thursday night, someone drove around the Noordermeer Field in Sioux Park on the Sheridan Lake Road side. Wheel marks were left behind with mud and dirt visible because of the rain.
“This isn’t anybody who just slipped off the road and then backed out again,” Darrell Shoemaker, communications coordinator for the City of Rapid City, said. “They spent considerable time leaving their mark, if you will.”
The city is waiting for the field to dry before assessing the damages to see if it will affect the steps taken to fix the area.
The field is currently leased by the Black Hills Rapids Soccer Club organization and used by Rapid City high schools like Central and Stevens. Shoemaker could not say whether the fields are usable now, and that would be up to soccer officials to determine.
This wasn’t the first time the field was damaged either.
“We did have damage to the soccer fields back in April, and in that instance, it was a social media video that actually helped bring that person to justice, if you will,” Shoemaker said. “There was restitution in that case, and as far as the parks were concerned, the restitution for time and effort in working to remediate the field was over $400.”
Other parks have also been damaged in the last few weeks though. Vickie Powers Park had graffiti and other damages around the area.
Restrooms were damaged and picnic tables were thrown into the water at Canyon Lake Park.
“We’ve had consistent and increased instances of vandalism in our park system,” Shoemaker said. “We’ve talked about that before, earlier this summer. Here in the last week or two, we’ve really seen a big uptick in vandalism and graffiti in our park system. We don’t know if it’s an instance of schools about ready to start and people have excess energy, or what the instance is.”
If anyone knows anything or witnessed something regarding the damage done at any park, the city is asking the public to contact Rapid City Police Dispatch at 605-391-4131, Rapid City Parks at 605-394-4175 or text the RCPD with information at 847-411.
“We’re really encouraging the public. Keep their eyes open, keep their ears open, if they see something let us know,” Shoemaker said. “We’re actively pursuing different options. It’s unfortunate because we all end up paying for this. We don’t want to take to the instances where we have to shut down our parks.”