Thefts, Vandalism Reported At Tuscaloosa All-Inclusive Playground

TUSCALOOSA, AL — It's been barely two months since the $1.5 million first phase of the Tuscaloosa All-Inclusive Playground Project (TAPP) officially opened to the public at Sokol Park and already officials have reported certain items stolen from the facility, along with instances of vandalism.

Over the weekend, TAPP said it was notified that some of the metal butterflies hanging on the park's fencing had been stolen. The butterflies are part of the"Give Wings to Play" initiative by Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority (PARA), which allows sponsors to purchase a butterfly to hang in the park displaying their name, social organization or business.

“We noticed the butterflies were missing on Sunday when one of our donors took their grandchild to find the one that has their name on it," said Caroline Lasseter, director of development for the PARA Foundation. "When we discovered that the butterfly was missing, we determined that several other butterflies were missing as well. Sadly, we discovered that the xylophone was also damaged."

Each butterfly is priced at $250, with the proceeds benefiting TAPP. Phase One of the $3.4 million park was recently completed, offering a one-of-a-kind spot for the children of the community, as an emphasis is placed on inclusivity for those with special needs and disabilities.

Additionally, the park's caretakers are also seeing instances of equipment being damaged, mentioning that TAPP's electronic panels and xylophone book will have to be replaced.

"We do not have any leads on who would have done this or why, but we are disappointed that it happened both for the playground and for the community, specifically the special children that the playground was designed to serve," Lasseter said. "We intend to complete a formal investigation, as well as an assessment on best practices with regards to security of the park. We encourage anyone who may have seen or may know who caused the damage and removed the butterflies, so that we may restore the park to its complete state.”

Those with any information on the vandalism or thefts are asked to email Lasseter at classeter@tcpara.org.

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