Costly acts of vandalism continue to decline at Delta's parks.
A report to Delta council this week summarizing 2014 vandalism activities notes the number of incidents once again went down with approximately 20 fewer over the previous year, while the total cost to repair the damage was $34,550, approximately $30,000 less than 2013.
The single most significant and costly act of vandalism last year was a fire at the North Delta Community Park washrooms, which cost taxpayers over $6,000.
At 116 incidents, graffiti led the way as far as the type of vandalism, followed by broken glass (53) and illegal dumping (30). There was only one case of wire theft.
Although the total number of vandalism acts is on the decline at 254, graffiti continues to rise with approximately 16 more incidents in 2014 compared to 2013.
Delta's vandalism management program is credited for reducing the damage with initiatives like washroom security locking systems, park attendants and the parks patrol proving strong deterrents.
Every summer, the municipality also partners with Delta police to hire students to patrol approximately 30 parks in South Delta and 20 in North Delta.
In 2013, the municipality saw about 100 fewer incidents in than in 2012, and the total cost to repair acts of vandalism was in $64,891, almost $20,000 less than the previous year.
Coun. Robert Campbell, chair of the parks, recreation and culture commission, said he's pleased Delta's efforts are resulting in a steady decrease. He said it was just a few years ago that vandalism was costing approximately $100,000 annually.
