Vandalism in local parks is hardly new, but the latest incident in Dunkirk has city officials especially upset: It ruined an Eagle Scout’s work.

Part of the skate park at Wright Park got covered by graffiti sometime Monday, Mayor Wilfred Rosas said. There was a police report filed and their investigation is continuing.

“Moneywise, it wasn’t a lot of damage,” Rosas said. However, he lamented, it came right after Ryan Profitt repainted the park for an Eagle Scout project. Profitt did the work Oct. 9 and 10.

Fourth Ward Councilwoman Nancy Nichols informed the OBSERVER of the damage on Tuesday.

“It’s disgusting,” she said. “It’s the second (act) of destruction that was down there within a week. … That young man who did the project through the Eagle Scouts, his work should not have been destroyed with the time and money that went into him doing that.”

Nichols said she and the rest of the Common Council were “livid,” and added that anybody who knows anything about the vandalism should be willing to step forward and talk to police.

Rosas said he has directed Police Chief David Ortolano to increase patrols in areas that are known trouble spots for graffiti taggers, especially at night.

“If people do that again, we want to pursue making an arrest and follow that with prosecution,” he said.

The mayor added that the city will soon be installing cameras and improved lighting in all of its parks, in order to deter vandals.