Vandals cost Harrisburg Park estimated $5,000

Ron Emery, Harrisburg Township Park District executive director, estimates that damage done by vandals Friday night or Saturday morning will cost taxpayers of Harrisburg Township $5,000.

That estimate includes labor costs, he said.

"The vandals, whoever they are, cut wiring in newly installed light posts, painted profanity on many walls, sheds, dugouts and other structures in the park," Emery said.

Six light posts were damaged out of a $70,000 project that installed 18 new posts around the park. The vandals removed a plate and pulled out and ripped up the wiring on six posts.

"The profanity painted on walls and such cannot be published, but we are covering it or removing it which costs labor. We will probably spend $1,000 repairing the lights alone," Emery said.

Emery said that the park district is pursuing a number of leads and strategies to bring the vandals to justice.

"They also cut a $10,000 net behind home plate at the baseball field. We can repair it, but that will be difficult. This is the worst we have had in awhile. Everything they damaged was newly installed," said Emery.