Victory Park Pickleball Court Security: After acts of vandalism at the pickleball courts in Victory Park, Fort Madison, Iowa, local volunteers are raising money to install real security cameras. The goal is to prevent further damage and support police investigations into the incident. The Fort Madison Police Department is currently looking into the case.
Vandalism Sparks Action
Picnic tables and non-working cameras at the courts, located at 23rd Street and Avenue G, were recently damaged. The fake cameras had been set up by the Fort Madison Pickleball Association to discourage vandals.
Phyllis Porter, a member of the Fort Madison Pickleball Association committee, explained the situation:
“We did put up some cameras at the shelter house to deter (future vandals), because we didn’t want things to be vandalized again, plus the people that we had gotten the picnic tables from replaced the damaged tables.
So, we put up some cameras, but they weren’t really recording anything. But we were just trying to deter those (vandals) from doing it again.
Well, they went and tore those cameras down.”
A Push for Real Cameras
Now, the group is teaming up with the Fort Madison Beautification Foundation to raise $3,000 for real, high-quality security cameras. Only $900 remains from the original funding used to build the courts.
Phyllis Porter said the new cameras will help police clearly identify anyone causing damage:
“These new cameras will be more high-tech than the RING cameras that are popular now.
Sometimes with those RING cameras you can’t see an actual face. I think (the cameras we’re looking to install will help police identify vandals more easily and accurately.”
Community Involvement
The group hopes the cameras will stop future damage and help protect the courts.
Phyllis Porter added, “The committee isn’t profiting from the pickleball courts.
It’s for the community, and a lot of people have put a lot of money into this, and it’s just sad that people go and vandalize stuff and then nothing is done about it.”
The Fort Madison Beautification Foundation is collecting donations on behalf of the pickleball group. A flyer from the foundation stated:
“The wonderful pickleball courts in Fort Madison have recently been vandalized.
This damage not only disrupts play but also affects the sense of safety and community many have worked so hard to build…
Every contribution, no matter the size, brings the Fort Madison Beautification Foundation one step closer to a safer, more secure court for everyone…
These cameras will serve as a deterrent and help safeguard the space so many citizens enjoy.”
Courts Open to All
The courts at Victory Park include six hard-surfaced areas with permanent lines and nets. They are open to the public, free to use, and operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. Lights turn off automatically each night at 10 p.m.
News in Brief: Victory Park Pickleball Court Security
After vandals damaged picnic tables and fake cameras at Fort Madison’s Victory Park pickleball courts, local volunteers are raising $3,000 to install high-tech security cameras. The Fort Madison Beautification Foundation is collecting donations to support this effort and help keep the community courts safe and welcoming.
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