SHENANDOAH -- Residents in one community in Schuylkill County say they are fed up with vandalism that has been going on for months.
The police chief in Shenandoah says property damage, including graffiti, is the work of juveniles all over the borough.
Neighbors in Shenandoah think the children range in ages from 9 to 15 and believe they are forming gangs.
The police chief says many of those kids have been caught and will be facing charges, if not already charged.
“We had to replace this back window here, and I had to replace the whole back door on that van because it was just cheaper because that's an older one,” said Tammy Theriaque as she points at her two minivans.
She says they were targeted by vandals here in Shenandoah and she says she's not the only victim, saying property damage has been going on for months and it`s believed it's the work of juveniles.
“Probably like around January, in February I had my front window broken out, before that if was two of the vehicles, the back window was broken out,” said Theriaque. “There's houses up around the corner the windows have all been broken out of.”
At the Vine Street Park, vulgar graffiti was sprayed on the blacktop of a basketball court.
“It's out of the control, it's only the beginning of the summer, it's sad,” said Eileen Burke who lives across the street from the park.
She`s frustrated watching the destruction of property there.
“This morning they went and they threw all the glass over there and I said to them, ‘that's not nice, it's a park’,” said Burke.
“You'll never see little kids over there because these are the kids, and some of them of them are right there, that's some of the gang,” Burke said, pointing at a group of juveniles near the park. “They know who the gang is.”
The Shenandoah Police Chief says several of the kids committing the crimes have been identified and caught and are either charged or will be, however the chief says the vandalism remains an ongoing concern for police.
Mark's Supply Company, a business on Main Street in Shenandoah posted on its Facebook page surveillance video that caught a group of kids knocking over some radiators outside the store.
Mark's Supply Company said several people identified the juveniles and thanked all those who helped.
“It's ridiculous, it needs to stop and people if they do see it they need to come forward and report it to the police,” said Theriaque.
Tammy Theriaque says there's a group of about 22 concerned residents who plan to hold community meetings about the vandalism starting in July.