PITTSBURGH — Nearly an entire fleet of Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy vehicles has been vandalized at the Frick Environmental Center, and Pittsburgh police are looking for whoever is responsible. The nonprofit said three separate acts of vandalism have taken place overnight over the course of the last two-and-a-half weeks, with the most recent incident occurring early Tuesday morning.
Six of seven vehicles in the fleet have sustained damage, estimated to be upwards of $50,000, with at least one of the trucks likely totaled. The damage includes smashed windshields, dented doors, shattered windows and more.
“Why would they do that? Why are they picking on the parks department?” Said Dona Luedde of Squirrel Hill.
“It’s eye-opening…and I can’t imagine any kind of reason. It’s just senseless,” said Judy Talbert of Oakland.
The vehicles are used by Horticulture and Forestry staff members daily to help maintain all the parks. The vans are used to support the nonprofit’s external education program.
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy officials could not provide Channel 11 any surveillance images and were not able to comment on whether or not a suspect has been identified. They are working closely with Pittsburgh police and park rangers to hopefully catch the vandal.
“Our staff cares so much about the work that they do daily in our parks, and obviously, we feel very honored to do what we do,” said Alana Wenk, director of advancement for Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. “It’s definitely something we’re hoping gets taken care of soon.”
In the meantime, a private security guard will be on site to monitor the campus in the evening and overnight hours. If you have any information that could help with the investigation, call Pittsburgh police.
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