VIRGINIA BEACH — Toilet seats ripped off, trash strewn across a picnic shelter, port-a-potties kicked over — there’s been a rash of vandalism in some of the city’s public parks. To address the problems quickly, staff from the city’s Parks and Landscape Services Division want citizens to file a report online.
“They can be an extra set of eyes and ears for us at the parks,” said Leigh Henniker, city superintendent of ground services. “It can help us get the information quicker and resolve any issues.”
Some parks are being vandalized more than others including two skateboard parks: Woodstock and Williams Farm, according to the city.
“We’re having more issues with graffiti or where people are breaking things,” Henniker said.
Some of the problems include spray paint on the skateboard ramps, picnic tables taken apart and toilet paper jammed into toilets.
“No one wants to go into a bathroom and see someone has trashed it,” said Henniker.
The incidents could be happening when park maintenance staff is not on site, Henniker said. The city has teams that rove from park to park, visiting each one two or three times a day to clean the bathrooms and take out the trash.
It’s also possible that some of the damage, outside of the restrooms which are locked from dusk to dawn, is happening at night, she said.
Citizens are being asked to report the problems by filling out a service request and include a photograph through an online form. Maintenance and accessibility issues such as broken playground equipment or a fallen tree branch blocking a sidewalk can also be reported.
The online reporting form has been around for several years but not many people knew about it, according to city spokesperson Ali Weatherton. The city recently ramped up marketing efforts to get people to use the form and created an easier online link: virginiabeach.gov/landscape. Click on “request landscape services” to complete the form.
In the last five weeks, the city has received roughly 40 submissions.
The report can remain anonymous. If contact information is provided, a parks maintenance staff member may reach out to get additional information.
Graffiti can also be reported through the city’s non-emergency phone number 311, or the main Parks and Recreation line at 757-385-0400.
Park staff have also caught people in the act, Weatherton said.
The city’s Park and Landscape Services Division is responsible for all landscaping and grounds maintenance of city building sites, schools, park land, roadways and the resort area. Services include mowing and litter control, landscaping, playground and athletic field maintenance, and parking lot sweeping and striping.
“These are everybody’s parks, and we want to take care of them,” said Henniker.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
