While vandalism at local parks and public facilities will never be completely eliminated, Delta is seeing some success in its attempts to curb vandals.
The municipality saw about 100 fewer incidents in 2013 than in 2012, and the total cost to repair acts of vandalism was $64,891, almost $20,000 less than the previous year.
That total has fluctuated over the years, but has predominantly been on a downward trend.
Last year saw a total of 274 acts of vandalism, including fires at the Holly Park synthetic turf field and the North Delta Community Park field house, which cost a combined $17,000 to repair.
A municipal staff report notes there were 98 incidents of graffiti, which is down significantly over last year, 86 incidents of broken glass and 26 incidents of damage to park furniture.
Other acts of vandalism last year included damaged washrooms (26), illegal dumping (22), damage to fencing/lighting (eight), damage to playgrounds/water parks (three), damaged synthetic turf fields (three) and wire theft (two).
"We're very proactive in any number of ways in dealing with this," said Coun. Robert Campbell, who is also chair of the parks, recreation and culture commission.
The report notes that kiosk wrapping in parks is proving effective in deterring graffiti, while washroom security locking systems, the presence of park attendants and the annual summer Park Patrol program are also helping reduce the incidents of vandalism.
Every summer, the municipality partners with Delta police to hire students to patrol approximately 30 parks in South Delta and 20 in North Delta.
