“It is very hard to say what is acceptable art is and what is unacceptable,” said Debbie McLaughlin, Miamisburg’s director of parks and recreation. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for graffiti.”
The Miamisburg Skatepark was closed in 2008 for having extensive graffiti. McLaughlin said the park was closed for a month to allow staff to “figure out how to restore the facility back to our standards.”
That cleanup cost Miamisburg $3,230, said Ryan Davis, parks and facilities superintendent.
But the most recent graffiti covering ramps and bowls is more difficult to remove. Davis said he is unsure how much it will cost. He expects the removal, when the right product is found, will take weeks.
The current incidents of graffiti likely happened during a couple of nights in the past month because it’s different colors, shapes, words and drawings, Davis said.
“Usually by now, we can get the park cleaned up, but there is a lot more graffiti, and the graffiti is very resistant and unable to be removed,” Davis said. “We are also trying to convey that graffiti is unacceptable. The park will be closed until it meets our standards.”
Signs are posted warning skateboarders against trespassing while the facility at Miamisburg Community Park, 550 S. First St., is closed.
Symbols and scribbling covered the rear concrete wall of the Kettering Skate Plaza last week.
“We didn’t close because our vandalism wasn’t that bad,” said Mike Fleener, parks superintendent for Kettering. “But when it does happen, it always sticks out and stands out.”
Crews cleaned up most of the graffiti at the skate plaza, but nearby, yellow and silver spray paint covered a caution sign, according to WHIO-TV reports.
“If a kid comes here and he’s never even been here and he sees that (the spray-painted caution sign), he’s like, what does that mean, and he just keeps going even though there are cars coming. He thinks they’re going to stop, but they don’t. And he might be hit,” said Devin Harris, a skateboarder.
It took a day and a half to complete the removal process, Fleener said.
Kettering police said the removal cost about $200 for materials and labor.
Miamisburg police told WHIO-TV on Friday that they believe several people were involved in the vandalism and they have a suspect.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2118 or talya.flowers@coxinc.com.
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