The Beaverlodge Daycare is hoping the community will band together following a second spree of vandalism that has left town residents feeling frustrated.

Daycare executive director Alysha Martin said its building was been the target of vandals over the Canada Day weekend.

“We had left some paint out in a bin in the backyard,” Martin said.

“Some people came into the yard and sprayed that paint all over the back walls and all over some of the children’s toys.”

While the paint was cleaned, Martin said it was the first time the daycare has encountered vandalism.

She said the daycare did not report the vandalism to the RCMP, as the paint was easily cleaned.

Now, they are considering installing security cameras along the backyard of the daycare, and she is urging community members to keep an eye out.

“I’m not going to the police with this, but if we can as a community keep an eye on things, I think that’s the best we can do,” she said.

On a positive note, Martin said the incident has helped children learn a valuable lesson about other people’s property.

“My older daycare kids can’t believe that people would ruin things and it’s actually made them so respectful and thoughtful of other people's property,” she said.

“I’m hoping that it's going to carry through their little lives. It was a crappy thing that happened, but it’s actually been a really good learning lesson for the children here.”

Community members speak out

“This is twice in a week that my house has been vandalized,” Harmony Mitton posted to social media on July 3.

“On Friday my solar lights were smashed in the street and last night my house was egged. To the people responsible for this shame on you.”

Resident Scott Hartsell told the News his house was egged over the July long weekend.

Hartsell had also had decorations destroyed during Halloween, and suspects the events are connected.

“We had actually chased the kids down and found out who did it and kind of scared them,” Hartsell said. “So that’s why I think it’s more of a retaliation thing.”

This is the second time this summer that some residences have been the target of vandalism; Peter Andrew reported that his house and truck were both egged in June.

“They hit my truck, probably like four or five of them. It was all dried out all over the back of my truck. And then like three or four hit the side of my house,” Andrew said on social media.

Time for COP?

He said there has been talk in the community for starting up a Citizens on Patrol initiative in light of the incidents.

“It’d be nice if somebody did something about it,” he said.

Chandra O’Connell was also a target, with someone having egged her van sitting in her driveway while she was home last month.

“This is quite frustrating as it’s uncalled for,” she said.

O’Connell expressed her frustration to the News.

“Being in a small town we all want to have our stuff respected,” she said.

“It’s hard to have that pride in our community if someone is vandalizing our property.”

O’Connell said that she did not approach the RCMP at this time due to a lack of evidence showing the act being done.

“As for the daycare being hit, I am not sure if that was reported or not, but I hope they did as that was definitely more down there than what was done at my place,” she said.

“I find that it being a business that is a much-needed support in our community that it deserves to be treated with respect, which vandals are not showing with their choice of actions.”

While Corporal Heighington of the Beaverlodge RCMP said there have been no official reports received by the detachment.

“We can’t action anything if we’re not aware,” he said.

“Our members are out in the community, they’re making patrols or responding to calls for service.”

Heighington said the RCMP cannot respond to crimes unless called, and urged residents to take steps to protect their property, install adequate lighting and tuck away valuables.

“If they have video surveillance, they see something happening, report it. There’s not much more we can do.”

Crime prevention tips from the RCMP

After a long day in the sun it’s easy to forget items outside. To help prevent theft make sure to:

·         Keep your yard well-lit 

·         Safely store all valuables in a locked, enclosed space, or chained to a post

·         Don’t leave your keys in your off-road vehicles when you’re not using them

·         Create an inventory of valuables, including pictures of each item, in case they are stolen

·         Put serial numbers on valuable items to help ensure they are returned to their rightful owner

For more crime prevention information, follow @RCMPinAlberta on Facebook and on Twitter @RCMPAlberta.