The County Press

‘Absolutely unacceptable’

Damage at pocket park latest incident of downtown vandalism

Authorities believe a granite bench at the pocket park was intentionally broken. Photo by Jim Alt

Authorities believe a granite bench at the pocket park was intentionally broken. Photo by Jim Alt

LAPEER — On the morning of Jan. 19, a downtown business owner discovered one of the custom granite benches in the Ed LaClair Lapeer Rotary Pocket Park had been split diagonally in an apparent act of vandalism. A report has been filed with the Lapeer Police Dept., and McCreedy Farms is searching for a suitable piece of granite to replace the bench, which will cost a minimum of $2,000.

This vandalism comes on the heels of a December incident in which someone cut the strands of Christmas lights wrapped around 36 poles lining Nepessing Street, indicating a need for more surveillance of the downtown area by law enforcement, business owners and community members.

“This latest act of vandalism is absolutely unacceptable in our community,” said Neda Payne, Executive Director for the Lapeer Area Chamber of Commerce. “This is so much worse than the Christmas light vandalism. A black eye on Lapeer. Reprehensible that anyone would deliberately plan and execute an act like this. The entire community should be outraged by this.”

A granite bench adjacent to a wall at the Ed LaClair Lapeer Rotary Pocket Park in downtown was recently discovered to have been broken. Photo by Jeff Hogan

A granite bench adjacent to a wall at the Ed LaClair Lapeer Rotary Pocket Park in downtown was recently discovered to have been broken. Photo by Jeff Hogan

The pocket park, which was completed in 2019, is the result of generous donations from individuals and organizations, and is an example of community pride. The park project earned the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association’s Community Landscape Beautification Award and is a much-utilized gathering place in downtown Lapeer. “The fact that someone would deliberately damage the structures in the park goes against everything that Historic Lapeer stands for,” said Jim Alt, executive director of the Lapeer Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

“These elements in the pocket park are works of art. They can’t just be purchased online or at a store. They’re one-of-a-kind, made by local artists to create a unique space we can be proud of, and it’s disappointing that someone would take it upon themself to damage them,” said Alt. “As a community, we need to expect more, and have a sense of pride for what we have.”

The DDA and the Lapeer Police Dept. are pursuing security measures for the pocket park, including the possibility of the installation of surveillance cameras to act as a deterrent and a tool to help law enforcement identify suspects in the event of illegal activity at the park.

The DDA and Lapeer Area Chamber of Commerce encourage citizens to do their part to keep downtown vibrant. If you think you might have information about the broken bench or damaged Christmas lights, contact the Lapeer Police Dept. at 810-664-0833.