NORTH PORT, Fla. — North Port Police said five juveniles have been linked to the vandalism done at the North Port Police and Fire Training Facility on Price Boulevard.
North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor said the sprawling complex was targeted at some point over the weekend.
“Just to come out and to senselessly just destroy for obviously no reason is just stupid, really,” Taylor said.
According to Taylor, the people responsible used a wooden pallet to scale and clear the complex’s fence, stole a truck parked at the facility, and used the truck to demolish the obstacle course where police K9s train.
“Why would somebody do this?” Taylor wondered as he surveyed the damage Tuesday afternoon. “You know, why would somebody destroy their own community?”
A brand new tower North Port Fire Rescue uses to train was also targeted. The tower is okay, but three air tanks used to train inside it were destroyed.
Racial slurs were spray painted on a fire rescue work truck which was stolen and used to cause much of the damage before it was wrecked and abandoned on-site.
“It’s a cost to taxpayers,” Taylor said. “I think the number I heard was around $16,000 to $20,000 worth of damage.”
Police have not released information on charges at this time.
“When you’re damaging life-saving property, the air packs, the trucks, the equipment to keep our dogs safe and make sure that they’re up to date, that’s something to take pretty seriously,” he said.
The site did not have a surveillance camera in place during the act of vandalism, but one has been installed since. Taylor said other security upgrades will also be considered.
