City closes skate park after vandalism, thefts

STRUTHERS -- The Fraternal Order of Police skate park has been closed until further notice because of vandalism and thefts that occurred there, said John Sveda, city safety-service director.
The park, located behind the city building, was shut down Wednesday, Sveda said. Recently, there was a picnic table stolen, a park bench vandalized, a large amount of litter and gravel spewed all over Stewart Street, the city parking lot and the skate park, he said.
The city said that when the park first opened, if any problems arose, such as these, the park would be shut down until the problems were solved. The police department is next door, so if anyone saw anything happen, there would be no excuse not to report it, Sveda said.
The youth in the city were told that this was built for them to enjoy, but if something happened, the city wouldn't hesitate to close it, he added.
"It's not all of the kids," Sveda said. "It's a few of them who ruin it for everyone else. We told them in the beginning that ultimately, it was their skate park, and they have to take care of it."
Sveda encouraged anyone who noticed theft or vandalism in the area to report it to the police. The skate park will reopen at a later date.