At least one vandal, possibly more, is plaguing the parish, spray-painting obscenities on various public buildings and structures, including the Vernon Parish Library, as well as businesses.
Leesville Police have identified at least four sites where the vandals have struck, said Leesville Chief of Police Bobby Hickman in Monday's City Council meeting.
"When they are arrested, we'll make sure cleaning up is our recommendation to the prosecutor," he added.
The library, which was vandalized some time after 9 p.m. on Thursday evening and 6 a.m. on Friday morning, will never be the same, said Howard Coy, the library's director.
"I'm extremely disappointed that someone would do that to a public building," said Coy. He and his staff, along with a local businessman who has volunteered to help, are in the process of cleaning the graffiti now and anticipate being done this week.
"It was such a shock," said Coy of the vandalism. Coy said he's also noticed similar graffiti on the Liberty Park sign, which is across the street from the library and on a laundromat up the highway from the library. A staff member had also noticed the black spray paint on a nearby city park, he said.
The paint has left a permanent stain on the brick facade of the library, Coy said.
The building, completed in July 1995, cost parish tax payers $2.5 million. The 20,000 square foot facility sits on 2.62 acres of land.
Vernon Parish voters approved construction for the library as part of a bond election in October 1992.
The bonds for the building were paid off this year, according to Rhonda Plummer, secretary-treasurer of the Vernon Parish Police Jury.
Placing graffiti on property without the consent of the owner is a state crime of criminal mischief and is punishable by a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment or not more than six months in the parish jail, or both.
Leesville, La. —
