91原创 City staff have been kept busy replacing strings of Christmas lights cut by vandals.
The Christmas lights outside at Douglas Recreation Centre as well as those on Glover Road in the area of 204th Street have been cut repeatedly in the past three weeks.
鈥淓ach and every year we expect a certain amount of vandalism. It鈥檚 unfortunately a sign of the times,鈥� said Geoff Mallory, the City鈥檚 manager of parks. 鈥淏ut this year it鈥檚 increasingly getting worse and worse. The other night, unfortunately, the entire display was cut into little ribbons.鈥�
The lights are cut multiple times and just left.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just destructive vandalism for no reason,鈥� he said.
[Story continues below video]
The City takes pride in its holiday lights.
鈥淲e have anyway between four and six staff working for four to six weeks setting up the displays,鈥� Mallory explained.
Most people seem to appreciate the municipality鈥檚鈥檚 effort.
鈥淧eople like the looks that we do,鈥� he said. 鈥淸We get] Really good positive feedback.鈥�
Most of the City鈥檚 lights and Christmas items are in the downtown core.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been going around this week plugging them in, making sure it鈥檚 all ready for the Santa parade on Saturday [Dec. 1],鈥� he said.
That left staff scrambling when the lights were again vandalized this week, just a couple of days before the community鈥檚 big Christmas event.
鈥淯nfortunately it takes away the displays for the citizens and costs the citizens, taxpayers, money,鈥� he said. 鈥淯nfortunately our electrician has been replacing plugs in the same tree three to four times.鈥�
So the City is asking people to report anything they see.
鈥淚t鈥檚 their tax dollars,鈥� Mallory said. 鈥淚 mean this costs us thousands and thousands of dollars where we could be spending money either enhancing other areas or doing things in our parks. We鈥檙e having to spend that money making repairs to destructive vandalism.鈥�
