Indecent graffiti in Kennedy Park in Vandergrift draws ire from parents
The last thing Vandergrift resident Sarah Cooper expected to find at her local park during an outing Sunday with her young son was X-rated graffiti.
Cooper said her 10-year-old son noticed vulgar images of male genitals and obscene words spray-painted on two stone pillars at the entrance to Kennedy Park.
“I’m so incredibly frustrated by these things happening,” Cooper said Tuesday. “My son saw the markings first, and I had to try and explain why someone would do this and also the horrible words I could not explain.”
Cooper said she hasn’t returned to the park since the incident, but she posted photos of the graffiti to her personal Facebook page.
“It looks like they power-washed it. I’m glad they did. The only reason I made the post was to warn parents and hope someone would clean it up,” Cooper said.
Vandergrift police Chief Joe Caporali said borough crews used brushes and graffiti cleaner and removed all of the offensive images and words this week.
“Right now, police are checking with anyone in the area that has surveillance cameras set up to see if anything was captured on film,” Caporali said.
The investigation is ongoing, he said.
Borough officials installed 24/7 surveillance cameras around Kennedy Park last summer in an effort to curb ongoing bouts of vandalism.
Vandergrift resident Deanna Whaley’s home was vandalized with graffiti in July.
Local artist and Vandergrift native Alex Chaffins volunteered to paint a large colorful mural over the graffiti in the rear of Whaley’s home.
Whaley said the ongoing vandalism needs to stop.
“It’s sad because so many young kids use that park, and they really don’t need to see that kind of thing,” Whaley said. “I don’t understand what satisfaction anyone could get out of drawing these pictures. I commend them for stepping up and cleaning it off. I know it’s not an easy project.”
Vandergrift Police Department is responsible for monitoring the surveillance footage, and portions of the park remain under 24/7 video surveillance.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 724-568-5507 or 911.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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