$500 reward: Bartlesville offers incentive for information on city park vandals

The city of Bartlesville says public park vandals have cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars over the past several years.

It’s now offering up to $500 for information that leads to an arrest, hoping a reward will help catch those responsible.

Damage reported almost every day

The city says it owns and manages 17 parks, including Sooner Pool and Frontier Pool, two splash pads, and the Price Fields Sports Complex.

According to Public Works Director Keith Henry, vandalism happens nearly every day to one or more of the city’s parks.

Crews frequently deal with graffiti, broken windows and lights, damaged playground equipment, trash, and even fires set inside public restrooms.

Cost of repairs climbs into the tens of thousands

Mitch Lucas, the Public Works Building maintenance supervisor, says it cost more than $40,000 to repair restrooms that were set on fire. Another $38,000 was spent to install security locks, which have also since been vandalized.

At Frontier Pool, someone stripped the copper from the pool’s AC condenser, costing the city about $7,800 to replace.

In addition to those expenses, officials say the city has used several thousand dollars’ worth of paint to cover graffiti and has invested in extra security measures.

Arrests remain rare despite frequent reports

While the vandalism is consistent, arrests are not.

Henry said it’s been difficult to catch anyone in the act. He says every incident is reported to Bartlesville Police, but arrests and prosecutions have been difficult.

City hopes reward brings leads

To help investigators, Bartlesville is now offering up to $500 for information that leads to an arrest in any of the park vandalism cases.

Anyone with information can call the Bartlesville Police Department at 918-338-4001 or the Parks Department at 918-338-4154. Callers can remain anonymous.