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Repeated vandalism at Smithville Lake and Clay County parks forced officials to lock bathrooms and seek the public's help to catch the vandals responsible for thousands of dollars in damage.
The men's bathroom at Smithville Lake remains locked after six incidents of significant damage and vandalism since March. The most recent incident happened on December 1.
A door ripped off its hinges, a blown-out toilet and graffiti on the walls represent just some of damages and destruction found at the park bathrooms.
Sarah Boyd, public relations manager for the Clay County Sheriff's Department, said the vandalism has been extensive and costly.
"There's one bathroom that has been hit four times," Boyd said. "They hit all of the trailhead bathrooms in one day. And they hit a shower house as well."
The December 1 incident alone caused approximately $1,500 in damages, bringing the total cost of damages to about $6,000.
Paying for the vandalism ultimately falls on county residents through their tax dollars.
"Thankfully they've got a really good maintenance team that can do a lot of the work themselves and minimize a lot of that," said Boyd. "But it costs the taxpayers when people needlessly vandalize public property like this."
The vandalism has been particularly destructive and appears to be intentional.
"They have blown up toilets with fireworks, they have ripped stall doors out of the wall, they have destroyed light fixtures," Boyd said. "They've pulled soap and towel dispensers off the wall. They shoved paper towels in the shower house so the drains wouldn't drain. I mean, just really pointless, destructive stuff."
While the park currently lacks security cameras, officials are working with the park district to install surveillance equipment because of the frequent criminal activity.
The county is offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest in connection with the vandalism.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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