Vandalism at Demorest Springs Park resulted in a young girl getting injured. City manager Mark Musselwhite says vandals damaged the park slide, and the city was not notified until it was too late.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t know about it, and a young lady took her granddaughter, and it cut the back of her leg pretty bad,” Musselwhite told the city council this week.
Musselwhite described the damage to the slide as similar to someone stomping a boot heel into it, causing a hole.
A Demorest police officer responded to the incident and shut down the 15-year-old slide. The city has ordered a new one from the same manufacturer in Flowery Branch. City officials explained the company only makes this type of fiberglass slide a few times each year. Due to its limited availability, the new slide won’t ship until September.
It’s going to cost Demorest $1,800 to replace the slide.
Councilmember Shawn Allen suggested adding cameras at the city park and gymnasium, not just for vandalism but for safety.
Musselwhite said he had already contacted the city’s IT systems vendor about the issue. The vendor said they could work off the police department’s existing system to mount cameras in the park in the near future.
