Local News

Actions

UPDATE: Vulgarity at east side parks still huge issue

Posted at 11:14 PM, Nov 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-23 22:08:40-05
UPDATE: We first told you about a valley park last week marred by vulgar graffiti on the playground equipment. Now, parents say the issue is at multiple parks in the area and it takes forever to get the marks cleaned up.
 
Last week, we went to the park at Hollywood Recreation Center and there were too many bad words to even count.
 
After our story aired, county workers went and cleaned up the marks but when we went back Wednesday, we found at least 10 more.
 
Parents say the marks are at all the parks in the area so 13 Action News checked out Lewis Family Park and saw a similar situation.
 
"It's not good when your daughter comes out (of the slide) and says daddy look at the word inside," said one parent.
 
Parents we spoke with say they've seen teens tag the equipment with sharpies.
 
13 Action News tried to talk with someone from Clark County for the last few days about this issue but we were told we could not do an interview until next week.
 
We wanted to know the protocol for cleaning up these marks since parents say they are always present and usually present day multiple days or weeks. Over the phone, we were told the county cleans them up as soon as parents report them. Parents tell 13 Action News that is not true.
 
We also wanted to know how the county was going to try and prevent this from happening in the future. But we could not get that answer either.
 
ORIGINAL STORY:
 
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- Some local parents say they're fed up with the vulgar images and words plastered all over a playground at Hollywood Recreation Center near Sahara Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard.
 
Natalie Ellsworth says she takes her four kids to the park at least twice a week and the bad words are posted somewhere new nearly every time.
 
"It's out of control," she said.
 
Ellsworth says she's actually seen the kids she thinks are responsible for this.
 
"Unfortunately, I've seen it with my own eyes," Ellsworth said. "The middle schoolers with sharpies."
 
The mother says she reports it almost every time she sees it, but it takes a long time for it to get cleaned up.
 
"It will be here for weeks ... months."
 
13 Action News reached out to the park managers as well as the Clark County.
 
We were told they were unaware of this chronic issue parents are reporting. But now that they know, they want to take action immediately.