An investigation is underway to find out who is responsible for extensive vandalism discovered at Anderson Falls Park.
At about 10 a.m. Tuesday, Bartholomew County Parks superintendent Rich Day arrived at Anderson Falls, located off County Road 1140E south of Hartsville, to discover restrooms which were being renovated covered with spray-painted graffiti. While a locked door to the facility had been forced open, the door itself was not broken, he said.
Photos taken by county parks personnel reveal a number of rocks, trees, benches and other items were also sprayed with paint.
Day had driven to the park near the Bartholomew-Decatur County line specifically to give the restrooms a final coat of paint, as well as install new toilet paper holders, he said. These chores were intended to be among the finishing touches in the renovation of the restrooms, Day said.
To add to his frustration, Day says he is getting conflicting stories regarding when the vandalism took place, he said.
“Some people say (the graffiti) was there Friday, while others are telling me it wasn’t there until late Saturday,” Day said. “So I don’t know when it happened.”
In response, Overhead Door Co. of South Central Indiana has announced it is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the damage. All contacts will remain confidential, a company representative said.
Efforts to improve Anderson Falls Park have been underway for some time, with much of it focused on reducing vandalism.
Volunteers from Cummins, Inc. reconfigured the parking lot next to the restrooms in September 2019. Their work included removing obstructive trees and shrubs.
After Day was hired as the county’s first parks superintendent in January 2020, he and parks board member Dennis Pierce announced upgrades and maintenance projects at Anderson Falls. A number of the proposals were included to counteract vandalism or neglect at the park.
Public concern about Anderson Falls was a strong factor in the decision to hire a full-time supervisor, Pierce said. Earlier acts of vandalism included towing portable toilets across the road and throwing them down a steep ledge into the river.
A permanent restroom was restored that included additional lighting on the building. More trees were either cut down or trimmed to ensure the restrooms would be lit at night, Day said.
After immediately notifying the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department of this week’s vandalism, Day said he was told by a deputy that the department would put out the word for other officers to patrol out to the park as often as possible.
But sheriff administrators have said in the past that deputies are often so tied up with other duties that they frequently don’t have the time to drive several miles out of their way to the remote park.
On a positive note, Day said improvements to Anderson Falls have had strong support from the Bartholomew County commissioners and the Bartholomew County Council.
“We are really looking at making some major changes in the future,” the parks superintendent said.
While Day says he cannot release details of those changes until after discussions take place with elected officials, he added some changes include proposals that could address this type of vandalism.
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Anyone with information about the vandalism to the Anderson Falls Park restrooms is asked to call the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department at 812-379-1712. Information may be left anonymously. A 1,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who damaged the park facility.
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