PERRYVILLE PLANS TO BATTLE INCREASE IN PARK VANDALISM

PERRYVILLE -- Vandalism has become such a problem in city parks that the portable-toilet contractor is threatening to take his johns and go home, the park director said.

Adding to nearly $15,000 in annual damages suffered by Perryville parks, ripped shingles, broken windows and a portable toilet almost destroyed by arson have driven up expenses a few thousand dollars in only the past two weeks.

"They melted the toilet down to the box," said Bob Held, Perryville parks and recreation director.

Extra costs created by leaving ball field lights on overnight might seem trivial, but not when 10 bulbs worth $75 each have had to be replaced this month, Held said.

Perryville's park problems are longstanding, Held said. Until now administrators have just not repaired and replaced as much.

"I can't just let them keep doing these things to a $13 million facility," he said.

Held believes the answer is a part-time security guard to patrol the city's 160-acre park along with five other parks overnight five times a week.

A pay rate is still being worked on, and the position has not yet been advertised, but Held said a guard should be in place by mid-June.

The details of the guard's job description are being discussed with police, who don't have enough patrols to handle the park.

"The cops can't be everywhere," Held said.

A security guard could drive a city vehicle and provide a presence that would scare off vandals, Held said. Although he would not be making arrests or carrying a firearm, the guard will have a radio to communicate with police.

Much of the job will simply be shutting off lights, locking bathroom doors and turning off running water. These have consistently increased expenses, he said.

The culprits are generally youths with nothing better to do, he said.

"When they were hanging out downtown, police used to tell them to get off the streets and go to the park, where they could stay until 1 in the morning," Held said. But when the park began officially closing at 11 p.m., the youths' habits didn't change.

Cape Girardeau's 600 acres of city parks have their share of bathroom graffiti, but damage directly from vandalism doesn't approach Perryville's figures, said Dan Muse, parks and recreation direction. "A lot of our vandalism revolves around the bathrooms, for whatever reason," Muse said.

Shards from glass bottles, which are not permitted in Perryville parks, take up extra maintenance time, and the portable toilets keep getting tipped over.

Held has heard squealing tires after midnight from his home, which is adjacent to the city's biggest park. He has gotten out of bed more than once to try to chase down the drivers but without success.

Some time after a security guard is hired, welded metal gates from the high school will be placed at points around the park, Held said. They should curtail the traffic that seems more intent on cutting circles in sod than passing through the park.

Held is counting on a security guard covering a multitude of these sins.

"We can't catch everything, but with a little creativity we will get more," he said.