An “overabundance” of vandalism and bullying incidents are prompting Warrenton police to increase uniformed and undercover patrols in the city’s parks, according to Police Chief Greg Houdyshell.In two separate incidents, a metal picnic table was “completely destroyed” at Khoury Park and a stop sign also was spray painted. The table was valued at $1,100.Houdyshell said police identified the individuals responsible for damaging the picnic table, adding that the suspects were minors who were subsequently referred to juvenile authorities.In the separate spray painting vandalism, an “observant” Warrenton patrolman saw an individual on a bicycle with paint on his hands, Houdyshell said. That suspect also was referred to juvenile authorities.“In addition to our regular patrols, we’re going to increase the number of patrols we do in our parks,” Houdyshell said. “We also will be doing undercover surveillance at random times and locations during the day and evening.”If illegal or suspicious activities are observed, plainclothes officers will notify uniformed patrol officers to take action or they will take action themselves in certain situations, Houdyshell stated.Additionally, police will be speaking with juveniles whom they encounter in the city’s parks and field interview reports will be prepared, the police chief noted.The field interview reports will allow police to track “the who, what, when and where” which will provide authorities with a starting point when incidents occur, Houdyshell stated.Houdyshell said police also are addressing “bullying issues” which have been reported at the Morgan Park pool.“We’re going to have officers at the pool so they can monitor what’s’ going on,” Houdyshell stated. “We won’t give up until we know the problem is nipped in the bud.”

Seek Citizens’ AssistanceIn a number of cases, crimes have gone unreported because citizens who may have witnessed suspicious or illegal activities have called police but the callers were unwilling to identify themselves as witnesses.“Something we hear a lot is a person tells us they were going to call but they didn’t want to bother us,” Houdyshell said. “That doesn’t make sense.“If anything appears suspicious, out of the ordinary or illegal, people need to call and let us know. Without the help of our citizens, our task is virtually impossible,” Houdyshell asserted. “We enjoy finding out what’s going on. That’s what we do.”When people observe suspicious or illegal activity, Houdyshell urges them to call the Warrenton Police Department at 636-456-7088.“If they tell us what they see, we’ll respond and take appropriate action,” Houdyshell remarked.

Greg Houdyshell