Vandalism prompts closure of sports fields at Henderson park

By Conor Shine

Monday, Oct. 10, 2011 | 2:17 p.m.

Several sports fields at one Henderson park will be closed for the next few days after they were vandalized over the weekend.

Officials discovered Monday morning that wires for the lighting system at Acacia Park, 50 Casa Del Fuego St., had been cut in what appears to be an attempted copper theft, parks and recreation spokeswoman Kim Becker said.

No copper wiring was stolen, but the lights at several multi-purpose fields aren't working due to the vandalism. Crews are working to repair the lights, but it could take up to a week to fix them, Becker said.

The lights at Acacia Park's baseball fields weren't affected by the vandalism, and games will continue to be played there.

Henderson Police are investigating the incident, which Becker said is part of an ongoing copper-theft problem at city parks.

"It's disappointing," Becker said. "Now all the teams that use those fields won't be able to and it's costing money to make the repairs."

The city's sports office is contacting affected leagues and teams, but Becker also encouraged residents who use the fields during off-hours to stay away at night until the lights are fixed.

"We don't want anyone to get hurt," she said.

Becker also encouraged residents to report any unusual activities they see at parks.

"We really need people to keep their eyes and ears open and to be vigilant," she said.