Another city sports park has been damaged by vandals and this time it’s in Ladner.
The City of Delta reported a vehicle had driven across the field and ball diamonds at Hawthorne Park (5151 56th Street), sometime overnight between Feb.1 and 2.
Delta Police attended and observed tire tracks across the field that had torn up grass in multiple areas. The total damage was estimated at more than $5,000.
Hawthorne is the Ladner hub for the Delta Fastpitch Association with three regulation size diamonds.
According to Delta Police Acting Insp. James Sandberg, it’s believed the vehicle entered the sports field from the 56th Street walking path by removing one of the two bollards.
Delta Police has reached out to the Delta School District to determine if the CCTV from nearby Hawthorne Elementary can provide any usable information.
The Hawthorne incident comes while Delta Police are still investigating vehicles driving over sports fields at a number of parks in Tsawwassen over the past several weeks. The soccer field at Brandrith Park has been vandalized several times with the latest destruction overnight on Jan. 26 causing a significant amount of damage.
“It’s unfortunate that someone is taken liberties on our parks that we try keep open as much as possible for everyone to enjoy them,” said Trent Reid, City of Delta’s Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture in an interview with the Optimist on Jan. 31. “There was a time where most parks had barriers all around them to prevent this type of activity. Over time, we have been a little bit more open and welcoming, by removing some of those barriers or modifying them that they’re not so obstructive.
“It costs us money, the taxpayers frankly, to keep up with this stuff.”
