BILLINGS, Mont. – Overnight, Hawthorne Park in the Heights was vandalized with graffiti, targeting playground equipment and picnic tables.
The city’s Park and Recreation Director, Mike Pigg, said such incidents happen almost daily and significantly strain the department’s limited resources.
Although the recent graffiti has been cleaned, the frequent occurrences take a toll on the department.
“The parks budget is a finite resource; we only have a certain amount of dollars to spend and a certain amount of time each day to spend. So, every hour we are spending doing that is another hour we are not somewhere else,” Pigg said.
“Every dollar that we spend getting the pressure washers out or the vehicle in use is another dollar we are not spending on something that is just as necessary within the parks,” he continues.
The cleanup efforts sometimes damage natural landscapes. Pigg mentioned that cleaning graffiti off the historic rock face at the Rimrocks caused irreversible harm.
To combat these issues, Pigg emphasized the importance of the community’s vigilance.
And believes one of the best ways to stop graffiti at its source and prevent future vandalism is to say something as soon as you see something.
Tina Hoeger, City of Billings Code Enforcement Division Manager, stressed the collective effort needed.
“You know, it takes everyone; you have to report it. I mean I only have seven officers, and we have a tremendous list of things we need to do throughout the day. So, if we can at least get the help of getting it recorded.”
In an effort to curb vandalism, the city amended its graffiti code earlier this year. The amendment includes rewards for reporting credible information about vandalism that lead to an identification and conviction, aiming to lead to more arrests and ultimately reduce graffiti in Billings.
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