Photo courtesy: City of Medicine Hat

By Darren Rathwell

More severe vandalism case than usual, says city

Feb 16, 2022 | 5:35 PM

Medicine Hat City Hall is serving notice about a more severe case of vandalism than is usually seen to city properties, after bathrooms were damaged at a popular south-end city park.

The city posted blurred photos Wednesday afternoon of the vandals’ work at Southridge Community Park.

Officials say they distorted the images over concern attention given to the pictures might encourage vandals to strike again.

Superintendent of Parks Dave Genio says graffiti tags are often done in the public eye to gain attention, as opposed to behind closed doors, as in this case.

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He also says having privacy to carry out their vandalism may have encouraged the culprits to strike.

“We do have automatic locks on those doors.. there’s potential somebody could have been there to prop the door open.”

It`s believed the damage was done sometime between Monday at 6 p.m and Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Genio calls this a more extreme case of vandalism to city facilities.

“You’ll get the occasional case of somebody painting something or doing something in a bathroom stall, or whatever, not to the extreme where the whole inside was pretty much tagged wall to wall.”

City officials say the only damage was graffiti, with paint and possibly markers.

Genio calls the damage upsetting, and says it puts back other work the city needs to carry out on it’s operations.

They’re hoping to re-open the facility by the middle of next week.