Vandals have again struck Abbotsford’s Berry Park, but this time, the graffiti left behind has gotten personal and threatening.
The park, located on Fern Street, has suffered damages in the past, including broken fences, young trees snapped in half, stolen manhole covers and basketball nets ripped down.
In July, a group of local residents, who call themselves the Woof Pack – because they walk their dogs together, informed the police and media about the destruction. They claim it was a group of teenagers causing most of the damage, and asked police to keep a close watch on the park.
It seems the vandals didn’t like the publicity.
Susanne (who doesn’t want her last name revealed) is a member of the Woof Pack, and said after a brief respite, the vandals are back.
“They sprayed graffiti all along the dugout on the field.”
It was all directed at the group.
“Woof Pack will die,” and “Woof Pack is creating a death wish,” are among the messages painted along the benches at the park.
The vandals call themselves the “Jeremy Gang” and warn people not to interfere.
Susanne said her group is not intimidated.
“We always walk in a group, so we’re safe ... People like this are cowards, always working in the dark.”
But she says she knows who did it and has informed the police.
“They (Abbotsford Police) are taking it seriously. They came down right away and video-taped the scene,” said Suzanne.
Since the initial complaint in July, the situation has improved at Berry Park.
According to Suzanne, families and sports teams have returned to using the facility the way it was intended.
She said the city cleared a lot of the trees and underbrush that was blocking sight lines.
“Now they have nowhere to hide to do their drug deals.”
The graffiti is the only vandalism to occur since the clean-up took place.