WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC 4 News) - When the West Jordan 'Wild West' playground opened more than three years ago, parents, community leaders and police hoped it would be a place where kids could have fun in a safe and wholesome environment. Now, some vandals have gone to great lengths to wreck the fun.
Several volunteers worked hours and raised money through donations to get the playground up and running in the spring of 2005. At the center of the playground sits a huge 'superstructure' complete with bridges, swings, slides, play forts, and other small buildings designed to enhance a child's imagination.
The project didn't come cheap either. One large slide cost more than $10,000. The entire project cost almost a half-million dollars.
Recently, some vandals have ripped parts of the playground off, smashed planks, crushed plastic slides, and under the watchful eye of security cameras...but those cameras only work well in daylight, and not so much in the dark. Ironically, the playground also sits just a few yards away from the West Jordan Police station at 8040 Redwood Road.
Police are asking for the public's help in finding those responsible for the damage so they can put the vandals behind bars.
As for repairs, residents and city authorities have yet to come up with a plan for renewal. In the meantime, sections of the playground have been shut down over safety concerns because of the jagged edges left by vandals.
