For the second time in about a month, a popular park area known as the “Field of Ability” has been vandalized, say Belleville police.
In a release issued by the Belleville Police Service, it states city parks staff reached out to police Monday morning after graffiti was discovered again on buildings located at the Field of Ability along Sidney Street.
The Field of Ability was created with inclusion as the focus of the project. It is meant to serve as a fully accessible, barrier-free facility where all can participate in baseball and reach their full potential.
Staff provided police with CCTV footage and a still image of the suspect who allegedly painted distinctive markings on the roll-up doors and walls of an outbuilding at the site similar to those from an incident in April, reported police.
According to timestamps on the CCTV footage, the incident occurred shortly before midnight last Saturday.
The facility, which is located at the Parkdale Veterans Park, is unique not just locally, but provincially. It marked an important milestone in the city’s history in 2022 when it opened with its rubberized field for games of baseball.
Police are calling on the public for help with their investigation and have shared images of CCTV footage.
Police have noted that due to the fact the CCTV footage utilized infrared clothing appears lighter due to various factors, such as material composition, fabric thickness, and colour.
Given this, police said the male suspect appeared to be wearing dark-coloured clothing, a baseball hat and a backpack, with reflective elements and had a skateboard.
Police are asking anyone with information about the suspect and/or this investigation to contact Const. Josh Woodcock at jwoodcock@bellevilleps.ca or Crime Stoppers at 613-969-8477.
Anonymous citizen tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers via https://crimestoppersquinte.ca
Before the call for help on Monday, May 27, Belleville police issued a similar release back on April 26. Again, police called on the public to help in identifying the suspect(s) involved in vandalizing the park area.
In that instance, city staff also alerted officers on a Monday after a building along Sidney Street was defaced by someone wielding a can of spray paint sometime over the weekend.
Staff also provided police with CCTV footage and a still image of a suspect painting a couple of roll-up doors at the site, reported police.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
