POTTSTOWN PA – Unknown vandals so thoroughly damaged soccer goals on the lower soccer field at Pottsgrove High School, sometime during Sunday night (Aug. 12, 2012) or early Monday morning (Aug. 13), that they must now be replaced at a cost of about $1,200 each, Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Michael Foltz reported.

The incident is the latest in a series of vandalism acts that involve sports fields and equipment at the high school, Kauffman Road, during the past two months. Although it currently has no suspects, the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department is actively investigating the crimes and is seeking public help in identifying perpetrators, Foltz indicated. Anyone with information is asked to call 610-326-1508.

In addition, his department “will be increasing regular patrols in an attempt to help deter the situation,” Foltz said.

Word of the damage drew immediate criticism on social media platforms like Twitter. “That’s why Pottstown gets NOTHING nice, cause these people out here act like little ass kids and ruin everything,” was a representative comment re-Tweeted throughout the day Monday. Several readers notified The Post of the latest incident, prompting its inquiry to and rapid response from the chief.

A Pottsgrove School District maintenance supervisor reported the most recent incident. “Apparently the goals and an aluminum bench were found in the wooded area that lines the soccer field,” according to Foltz, and marked “the third or fourth time that the goals were vandalized.” This time, however, the goals were so badly broken “they needed to be replaced.”

The vandals’ focus seems to been sports-related items. The department on July 10 took a report of vandalism on the high school’s softball fields at the high school. “Someone damaged the equipment shed. The shed was broken apart in several places. Equipment that had been in the shed was removed and thrown on top of the batting cages. Soccer goals were also up-ended,” Foltz described.

Then, on July 28, police officers patrolling the high school exterior “found a wooden door had been ripped off the football equipment storage shed. Someone had ripped the door right off the hinges, and the security lock and hasp was still in place. Several footballs were removed and thrown into the field. There were also trash can lids tossed on the roof of the building,” according to the chief.

All of the incidents, he added, “appear to be happening during the overnight hours.”

Photo from Wikimedia Commons