“The free Palestine and LGBTQ stuff is the sort of thing you might get on government-type buildings or at a protest – not a children’s playground," an angry resident told Selwyn Times.
This is simply unbelievable.”
“This is just appalling,” another resident said.
The graffiti at Lincoln’s Te Whariki playground on the corner of Vernon and Southfield Dr happened overnight on Saturday.
A council spokesperson said the graffiti was going to be cleaned off “as soon as possible”.
It was the second attack on a Lincoln playground in recent weeks.
The children’s playground in Leinster Tce near the intersection of James, Gerald and Edward Sts was tagged with bright orange paint.
A penis was drawn on the adjacent road and also on a tree at a nearby picnic area. A picnic bench was also tagged.
One person, whose children go to the Te Whariki playground, questioned what the police were doing to find who was responsible.
“Look, we know it’s tough and they can’t be everywhere. But it would be good to know if they have an idea who these a**holes are, and if they are young enough, are they (police) talking to the parents.
“Our kids are young and they didn’t take in the meaning and messaging of the tagging here (Te Whariki). It’s just a mess. Really disappointing.”
Last week, police said there had been no rise in reports of incidents to them in Lincoln, despite concerned residents telling Selwyn Times of ongoing issues with young teenagers knocking on doors at night as a prank, vandalism and antisocial behaviour.
Springs Ward councillor Denise Carrick who is also the spokesperson for Selwyn Community Patrol said the graffiti was “sad”.
“It lowers the standards of the town,” she said.
When the patrol sees graffiti it sends photos to the council’s send, snap and resolve system.
“We cover the whole of Lincoln, Prebbleton and Leeston, so the chances of being somewhere when something’s happening are quite slim,” Carrick said.
She plans to “advocate” as a councillor for more security cameras in public spaces like parks and playgrounds to deter vandalism.
Another Springs Ward councillor Aaron McGlinchy said the Te Whariki graffiti was “despicable”.
He is also supportive of security cameras in public spaces, but wanted to see evidence of how big the issue was to see if installing them was cost effective.
