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 Graffiti artists may have misspelled "keep going" on a stop sign near the Le Mars Community football stadium but they did succeed in causing nearly $1,000 in damages Tuesday night to buildings there, including the new construction on the middle school. The vandalism was discovered Wednesday morning. [Click to enlarge] |
Le Mars Police Officers arrived on the scene to find graffiti on some of the new cement sidewalk and new brick of the middle school addition plus on the concession stand, ticket booth and stop sign near Jim Lorenzen Field.
"There was some obscene language and a lot of miscellaneous gang signs -- a lot of S-13," said Mary Jo Sitzmann, a spokesperson for the Le Mars Police. "It was pretty extensive."
Sitzmann said they've seen the S-13 gang sign several times around Le Mars.
The graffiti, discovered early Wednesday morning by construction workers, is just the most recent hit in a string of spray paint vandalism around Le Mars that started in late May.
The first report, Sitzmann said, was graffiti on playground equipment at Clark Elementary School on May 23.
Police pinned that vandalism on three 12-year-old boys. A witness saw the trio walking nearby with a can of spray paint. The boys were charged with criminal mischief.
Since then, the police received more than five other graffiti reports.
"The boys denied having a part in any of the other business," Sitzmann said. "They may not be involved."
Other reports include spray paint on a garage door on the 300 block of Central Avenue, obscenities painted on a Langel Electric van, damage to the back of a shed, graffiti on a regional transport bus, and spray paint at another garage where vandals also painted over the owner's license plates.
Most of the paint has been black, although the recent LCS incident involved dark blue paint, Sitzmann said.
"Anybody with information can call the police station," she said.
People can contact the Le Mars Police at 546-4113 or call confidentially at Crime Stoppers at 548-4968.
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This is awful.
If by S-13 these alleged "gangstas" mean MS-13, then they are referencing themselves in association with a notorious El Salvadorian gang called Mara Salvatrucha. They are known for contract killing and killing cops. Hopefully it's just kids being dumb. I don't know what could ever attract an El Salvadorian gang to Le Mars.
I guess where to start is STOP SELLING Spray Paint To Minors! We can stop videos rated R, We can stop medication, We can stop anything else but not the obvious!?
Also if more than 2 cans are being sold at a time and it seems suspicious then STOP it!
I don't know what to say but Le Mars is not the quite little town it used to be. So maybe we need to stop increasing things for adults to do and maybe focus on the kids for once instead of our own selfish wants! Our town has a pool and a skate park WOW. What about a hang out? What about finding out what the kids really want and need? We are barley attracting anyone to our town right now as it is, hence why so many are packing their bags and heading out. Give our families and children a reason to stay! News Flash People "It's NOT A Retirement Town, So STOP Trying To Make It One!"
Think about the many families that are left here, think about the children that are being raised in our small community. The kids can't ride the loop like we did when we were younger, they can't do bon fires out at the pit like when we were younger without an adult, they are limited so tightly as to what they can do that it frankly upsets them but the parents more! So many complain that kids are growing up to fast, well look at what our society is doing. You take, take, take, take yet what are you giving back to our youth?
I would take this very seriously and nip it in the bud (sorry for the cliche). The grafitti needs to be removed immediately. Let's not have the same problems as South Sioux City. The extra effort needs to be made to have a clean, inviting community.
To Confused Parent,
In addition to swimming and skateboarding for the kids in LeMars, in my opinion there is plenty to do. Hang out at the Asylum, join Little League and play some ball, sign up for one of the many activites the "Y" offers over the summer (and winter), or sign up for programs through the library or art center. Go to a camp. Take a bike ride or roller blade or walk through the trails around town or the golf course. Play golf or frisbee golf. Get your friends together and a start up a game, any game you enjoy doing. Need a "night" time activity? Go to a movie, have friends over at your house and "hang out"-play some games (there are lots of yard games you can buy). If none of this takes up your time then volunteer at the hospital or nursing homes, pick up garbage around town or just your neighborhood, offer to mow your elderly neighbor's yard, find a job, babysit. If still you're looking for something to do then just sit at home watch TV, play video games, text your friends, talk on the phone, sleep. If income or ability to pay for some of these activies is an issue most programs offer assistance in that area. I don't think we as parents or a society need to keep our kids entertained 24/7 so they don't go out and vandalize our community and I highly doubt the reason for people leaving LeMars is not because their kids are bored. Let's not give these kids excuses for spray painting the town especially an excuse as lame as "I was bored".