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Vandals damage Atascadero playground for disabled children

December 10, 2021

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A suspect or suspects vandalized an Atascadero playground designed for disabled children. [KSBY]

Joy Playground, located at Colony Park, is the only playground for disabled children in San Luis Obispo County. Earlier this week, the playground was found with broken fencing, food smeared on the ground and graffiti on equipment, said Sarah Sullivan, the co-founder of Parents of Joy.

The fencing that was vandalized had been erected to try to stop children who are on the autism spectrum from running away. Food being left on the playground was also causing concern among parents, in part because some children who use the playground have food allergies, Sullivan said.

Atascadero city officials said in a statement that the police department had not been contacted about the vandalism, but it will conduct an investigation.

“This recent issue at Joy Playground was not reported to the Atascadero Police Department,” the city said in the statement. “There was a small amount of graffiti where chalk was used and a couple of bar rods missing from the fencing. Public works was notified, so it could be repaired. Once it is reported, it will be investigated further and PD will work from there to hold those accountable.”

Officials say investigators will review surveillance footage from the area. Likewise, Atascadero officers do rounds around Colony Park and the playground in order to make sure it is safe.


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Oh my! Food was left out where a human my come in contact with it! Alert the authorities. Or the janitor. Everything isn’t a hate crime. Clean it up and move on.


-24

This really gets me angry. What a great addition this has been to the city, and the county for that matter for special needs children. To vandalize anything is wrong, but especially a place like this.


This has been a tremendous volunteer effort from the start to make this park a reality. It took years of organizing, planning and developing by a determined group of wonderful people. I hope the video surveillance camera has something that can identify these sick individuals doing this. It isn’t the first time. It makes you want to catch them yourself and do a little behavior correction with these sorry and cowardly souls.


30

They took the paddle out of the principal’s office a long time ago man. That ship sailed, and landed us here on planet PC…. unless the kids are playing grand theft auto forming a virtual brothel, or back in reality stopping by the health and wellness healing center. Shrooms coming soon…


-11

People who harm children under the guise of authority should be locked up with the pedos. Parents who harm there children (behavior correction for the PC) have already failed their one job.


-11

“This really gets me angry. ” “catch them yourself and do a little behavior correction”


So be the criminal to stop the criminal, after all we do know if you go vigilante and chase down and “behavior correct” someone’s child long and hard enough they wont do that anymore.


“There was a small amount of graffiti where chalk was used and a couple of bar rods missing from the fencing.”


Personally I think they should made to clean it all up and then some.


But you can do it your way.

Hail Satan.


-21

Maybe next time it might be something you support and place where a family member uses for their child. Let’s see if you have the same reaction. Maybe next time it’s your residence or vehicle. I bet you sing a different tune then.


Really rich, but not surprising comments from those who defended the actions locally of blm insurgents that attack a family, breaking a car window on an innocent child, stopped a pregnant woman in labor by blocking the freeway, and threatening the lives of many others while attacking and assaulting a Police officer. Justified it, and maybe even participated. So this is nothing to them.


You can “Hail Satan” all you want. It’s not going to help you in the end.


9

“I bet you sing a different tune then.”

Been there, no. I was raised better than that.


Beating someones child for some graffiti is a crime.

A parent beating a child is child abuse and creates more abusers (and so on).


” but not surprising comments from those who defended the actions….”


I never defended “breaking a car window ” “Justified it, and maybe even participated. So this is nothing to them.” This is deflecting/mud slinging and no excuse to harm a child. Your analogy is bad.


So some ignorant college students go beyond accepted civil disobedience and you think that makes it ok to abuse someone else’s children who chalked some graffiti?


“You can “Hail Satan” all you want.”


I will point out the devil’s work every chance I get.


-11

You sure make a whole lot of assumptions in your lack of the facts. Your so for off it’s laughable. Go ahead and bloviate lies and false accusations if helps you feel better and gets you through your day. There’s still hope for people in that place. I truly hope you will find it.


1