Young trees destroyed by vandals in Idaho Falls Park

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Several vandalism incidents are being reported in parks around Bonneville County.

Six young trees were destroyed recently at Reinhart Park. Four were broken in half, and two other trees had their branches and bark completely stripped off.

"The last two years, during Arbor Day, we've actually planted trees there with local students,” said PJ Holm, Idaho Falls Park and Rec Director. “We've had two years of growth. They were starting to really establish into some great landscaped trees throughout the park and that was taken from this community overnight," Holm said.

Holm says they normally see vandalism increase during the summer. "Kids are out of school. We have more people that are experiencing homelessness that live around the river," said Holm.

Some public restrooms have also been vandalized. Vandals shattered toilets and pulled sinks off from walls. Holm said the department has now put automatic locks on public restrooms, which lock after a certain hour so people can’t get in.

Security has also been hired to patrol parks and public areas for vandals. But what really helps is when community members tip law enforcement on what they've seen.

"We are fortunate to have a good community that watches out for each other, the neighborhoods that watch out for each other, and people know what belongs and what doesn't belong. They call in suspicious behavior," said Bonneville County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bryan Lovell.

Park crews in Ammon are also dealing with several vandalism cases. Last week, vandals damaged an electrical box for the pickleball courts in McCowan Park. Vandals also tore down signs and painted graffiti and intentionally clogged toilets, sinks, and splash pad drains.

If you have information that can help the police find and stop vandals, call dispatch at 208-529-1200 to speak with an officer, or you can report anonymously through the East Idaho Crime Stoppers website at www.IFcrime.org .