Just within days of the city’s debut of the new Lincoln Park in Downtown Long Beach, someone vandalized the park and a swing fell off, prompting requests to repair the area.
Joy Contreras, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Public Works, said the park experienced “significant tagging and vandalism” on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, and the damages were reported to the city the next morning.
However, one of the swings at the park fell off by itself after having been “incorrectly installed,” Contreras said. To prevent any other potential damage of the other swings, the city removed all of them on Wednesday, Feb. 16, she said. Previously, city staff believed the swing had been vandalized, but after having reviewed security footage, that was not the case.
Currently, other visible damages include chunks of rock missing from the base of the Abraham Lincoln statue and a metal sculpture having been defaced with the letters “DOMO.”
“Someone just went all out,” Contreras said.
Security service for the city had notified the city to get an immediate remediation estimate for the damage, and, at this time, the city the installation date to replace the swings is forthcoming.
Temporary security cameras were not present when the park first opened but were able to capture the recent vandalism. Because the city was focusing on opening the park to the public, Contreras said the city has been currently using temporary security cameras and, at this time, it is unclear if permanent ones will be installed.
Edgar Vega, a security guard with General Security Services, said the company patrols the park and exterior of the library, mostly to prevent graffiti and other vandalism.
Noting tagging that took place, Contreras said she wants the public to keep in mind respecting the space for the sake of others.
“This park is meant for everybody, and we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to truly enjoy the new amenities at the park.”
Staff writer Brandon Richardson contributed to this story.
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