Missing stage speaker latest instance of vandalism in Lucedale
A missing speaker from the stage on Main Street in Lucedale points to a recent case of vandalism in the town. (WCRG)
LUCEDALE, Miss. (WKRG) – A missing speaker from the stage on Main Street in Lucedale highlights the latest case of vandalism in the town.
“It’s not the first thing they’ve stolen. If you see something, say something. As fast as we put things together, they tear it apart,” Mayor Doug Lee said.
The city and Downtown Merchants of Lucedale initially shared the cost of audio equipment for the stage. A second speaker is still intact and can be used for Second Saturdays and other events until the missing one is found or replaced.
Sometime after it was last used for the Christmas parade in December and when dealers had tested the speakers in late January ahead of their next event, it disappeared. The Chamber of Commerce and other storefronts along Main Street have shown signs of suspected break-ins over the past month, but nothing has been reported stolen.
Police Commissioner Kellum Fairley said they will file the speaker’s serial number with the National Crime Information Center so that it can be identified in case it is bought and sold somewhere or turns up during an investigation.
Vandalism has been a problem in downtown and most of the city’s parks since the second half of 2022. In October, flower pots were dumped and fall decorations stolen along Main Street.
Equipment in the restrooms at the Main Street Information Kiosk, Lucedale City Park, Benyard Park, and the football and baseball fields is routinely found damaged when city employees return to work on Mondays.
“We need to do something with cameras on city property to catch some of these people and make an example of them,” Mayor Lee said in October.
George County High School art students are replacing 300 tiles in the amphitheater in Lucedale City Park. Some have weathered over time, but the mayor believes others may have been damaged by falling rocks.
A fence will also be installed around some of the city’s soccer and baseball fields to protect them from drivers making donuts in the parking lot and crossing over to the grass. The city will need every field when over 400 players start the season on Saturday, February 11th.
“You can’t play football on them because they have big ruts. We fill them up, but this has happened a few times now. So the fence will help there,” said Alderman-At-Large Louis Valentine.
Anyone who witnesses a crime or knows of those responsible for vandalism in the city can call the Police Department at 601-947-3261 or submit an anonymous tip to Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at http://mscoastcrimestoppers.com/.