KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Crews worked to clean graffiti off The Scout statue in Kansas City, Missouri, Tuesday morning.
Daryl Baker, who is the area superintendent of the central district for Kansas City Parks and Recreation, said the department was made aware of the graffiti on the statue and stonework around mid-morning.
Video shows blue spray-painted letters littering the stones surrounding the statue and The Scout itself.
Baker said it’s not the first time it’s happened, and is frustrating as it takes staff away from other important areas of work.
"This is something that's meant to beautify the city, and it's historic,” Baker said. “The statue is there for everyone to be able to enjoy, so when someone takes and tags it with graffiti, it's really counterproductive for the beautification of the city and also for the parks."
Baker said workers will be able to get the majority of the graffiti off the monument Tuesday, and will do a follow-up assessment at a later time.
The workers used a cleaner and power washer on the stonework, and a gentler cleaner on the statue to preserve its coating.
The Scout is located in Penn Valley Park and sits atop a hill overlooking the city.
According to KC Parks and Rec, it was originally sculpted for an exhibition in San Francisco in 1915.
During a temporary exhibition in Kansas City on its way back to the east coast, residents fell so in love with the piece they raised $15,000 to purchase it.
In 1922, it was dedicated as a memorial to local American Indian tribes.
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