What happened last week in Gowanda is exactly why communities are going camera-crazy to maintain security. During a recent stop at St. John’s Park, village officers noted that nearly a bagful of garbage had been collected, and Nutella, ice cream, and various other substances had been smeared on the floor of the pavilion, table, and posts.

To stop any future vandalism, the police and village decided to remove picnic tables and the basketball hoops. “This has gone on long enough,” said Officer Ben Shields in the Facebook post on Friday. “Our officers are doing what they can down there. Officer (Andrew) Rechin has purchased cases of Powerade with his own money and taken it to the park for the kids, and spent time hanging out and building relationships. Officer (Justin) Kehr has gone to the park on numerous occasions and hung out and spoke with the kids to build relationships. Other officers swing through and do regular premise checks.”

Despite the efforts by officials, an apparent lack of respect remains by one or multiple individuals that end up punishing everyone. Those with information are urged to call police at 716-532-2020.

With summer here and school being out, it’s unfortunate timetable for these misdeeds.