Damage at Providence War Memorial. Graffiti remained for Memorial Day.

Photo: ABC6 Twitter

Graffiti damage sat untouched for all of Memorial Day at the Providence War Memorial. John DePetro first broke the story of graffiti vandalism, with a video that was followed by television stations. Providence Police reported calls came in around 8am. Requests to the city of Providence have been made to determine why the damage was allowed to stay, unrepaired, all day on Memorial Day.

At 4am, a clean up crew is finally at work power-washing the damage. Flags that were destroyed and will need to be replaced. NBC10 is reporting that the clean-up crew is from the Dunk’ maintenance crew and not the city of Providence. After a few hours work, the damage from the paint has been cleaned. Later in the day, Daniel McConaghy, Executive Director of the Dunk’ told the Providence Journal that the power-washing had removed most of the paint but some of the carved letters would need “touching up”. He also said that Hasbro has some excellent quality of surveillance video which is in the process of being used in an investigation to “get to the bottom of who would do this”.

Providence had a report of the damage at 8am but no effort was made all day or night to clean it.

Hopefully, detailed photos were taken so police can do their detailed investigation to arrest those who did this damage. Additional security cameras should be installed, but many are already in place in this area. High risk holidays would also be the time to assign city/state security detail to this memorial, and others, now that Providence monuments are targets for vandalism. There are other memorials in downtown which need security attention, particularly Memorial Park near the courthouse.

The Memorial was reconfigured from where it originally stood outside the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. That monument had flat panels side by side. The new monument, which is outside of the Hasbro headquarters in LaSalle Square, now has interlocking panels, benches and flags. The names of Veterans of Providence and the wars they fought in are etched into panels.

The Memorial was re-dedicated in September of 2009.

Graffiti in Providence

The City of Providence defines Graffiti damage not as a crime but as a public nuisance: “Graffiti is a public nuisance and destructive of the rights and values of property owners as well as the entire community.”

The Graffiti ordinance in Providence states punishments for such actions:

(1) Fines. A fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for any offense.

a. In case of a minor, the parents or legal guardian shall be jointly and severally liable with the minor for the payment of all fines.

b. Failure of the parents or legal guardian to make payment will result in the filing of a lien on the parent’s or legal guardian’s property that includes the fine and administrative costs.

c. Upon an application and finding of indigence. the court may decline to order fines against the minor, parents or guardian.

(2) Restitution. A court shall order any violator to make restitution to the victim for damages or loss caused directly or indirectly by the violator’s offense in the amount or manner determined by the court. In the case of a minor, the parents or legal guardian shall be ordered jointly and severally liable with the minor to make the restitution.

(3) Community service. A minor or adult shall be required to perform community service as described by the court based on the following minimum requirements:

a. The minor or adult shall perform up to one hundred (100) hours of community service for a first offense. A second or subsequent offense shall require up to two hundred (200) hours of public community restitution work.

b. At least one (1) parent or guardian of the minor shall be in attendance a minimum of fifty (50) percent of the period of assigned community service.

c. The entire period of community service shall be performed under the supervision of a community service provider approved by the chief of police or the probation department of the court.

d. Reasonable effort shall be made to assign the minor or adult to a type of community service that is reasonably expected to have the most rehabilitative effect on the minor or adult, including community service that involves graffiti removal.

To report graffiti in Providence: Call 3-1-1

This is a developing story and will be updated during the day.