HAZLETON, Pa. — Residents from one Luzerne County community are angry and confused after a wheelchair-accessible swing was stolen from a city playground.
Altmiller Playground on East 14th Street in Hazleton has it all; jungle gyms, slides, and a nearby basketball court. But the park's wheelchair-accessible swing, designed for children with disabilities, has vanished.
William Demshock, who lives across the street from the park, said he's disgusted.
"Very sad," Demshock said. "It shouldn’t have been done, but that’s how things are today."
Newswatch 16 was there when the swing was installed back in September 2017. The Hazleton Lions club spent nearly $4,000 on two swings and set them up at two parks in Hazleton.
"They did a beautiful job on this whole playground," Demshock recalled. "They did the whole thing over. It was very nice. To destroy something like that, that’s uncalled for."
Thomas Cushman frequents the park with his daughter, and though he was disappointed to see the swing was stolen, he wasn't surprised.
"It’s pretty horrible, but I mean, you couldn’t really not expect that in Hazleton for how it’s gotten," Cushman said.
Demshock said the park has some security cameras that could help lead to some answers. He said he sees some individuals out in the park at all hours of the night.
"Late in the evening after 9 o’clock when they should be out of there," Demshock said. "It’s an older group of kids, put it that way. "
"There is always broken glass on the ground that I have to watch with [my daughter]," Cushman said.
Demshock said there's an effort underway to replace the swing, but he offered a different solution.
"Whoever took it should bring it back," he said. "I don’t understand what the need is. Nine out of ten times, they take stuff that they have no use for.
Cushman said he'd like to see the park's conditions improve.
"For [my daughter] and I think everyone else would like to see it looking better," Cushman said.
Hazleton Police did not immediately respond to Newswatch 16's request for comment on the investigation.
The Hazleton Lions Club is accepting donations and hopes to purchase a new swing for the park.
Donations can be addressed to:
Hazleton Lions Club
668 Liberty Court, Hazleton, PA 18201