Staff photo / R. Michael Semple
Vandalism was reported along North Park Avenue and High Street on Courthouse Square in downtown Warren over the weekend. Here, Lottra Roth of Youngstown, left, and Chloe Rainey of Struthers wait for a bus at the corner where the vandalism occurred.
WARREN — Several downtown Warren businesses were vandalized with graffiti over the weekend.
Buildings along North Park Avenue, including the Art on the Park facility at 189 North Park Ave., were tagged with spray paint.
Warren Mayor Doug Franklin called the acts “senseless,” saying they threaten downtown’s momentum.
“These types of actions almost bring a city’s progress to a halt,” Franklin said. “We have to be more mindful of others’ property and protect against these acts — whether through surveillance cameras, increased patrols or prosecuting offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
He said these acts of vandalism have an impact on business owners who’ve “invested hard-earned money” in the area, adding, “My heart goes out to them. These vandals undermine all our efforts to build up the area.”
Jessica King, president of the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull, confirmed the incident and said she filed a police report Monday afternoon. However, she said the photos and video she provided did not clearly show the graffiti’s location on the building.
“It’s disheartening to have those kinds of things happen, especially to an arts organization,” King said. “We welcome whoever did it to come inside and express their work there, not on the side of the building.”
The exact time the graffiti appeared remains unclear.
King said a pressure-washing company offered to help, but she and her staff plan to handle the cleanup.
A North Park building owner and local attorney, Jeff Goodman, said three storefronts inside his building were vandalized. He was notified of the damage Saturday.
“Business is going to continue. We will not be deterred by the actions of these idiots,” Goodman said. “It’s my hope that city officials and police are taking this seriously.” Goodman warned that without arrests, similar incidents could occur, cautioning that it could harm the downtown’s appeal to tenants and customers.
“These things, when reported, create a black mark on the whole area,” he said. “Everyone who has an interest in Warren has an interest in seeing this resolved.”
When asked about cleanup assistance, Franklin said the city “will help however we can.”
A police report was not available Monday afternoon.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
