Vandals did more than $1,000 in damage to the bathrooms at Fulwood Park early Monday, Parks and Cemetery Superintendent Albert Scarborough said.

The green spray-painted graffiti on the main entrance restrooms was found by park caretaker Tracey Murphy at 8 a.m. Monday. Murphy reported that when he arrived he could still “smell the fresh paint.”

According to Scarborough, when he called to file the police report he was told that officers had patrolled the area at about 6:30 that morning and seen nothing.

The graffiti was signed by Sur 13, a local gang who have been known for vandalizing Fulwood Park.

The bathroom has automated door locks which unlock each morning at 7 a.m. and lock again each night at 8 p.m. This has kept the vandalism inside the bathrooms down, but there is no current protection for the exteriors of the buildings.

“Because it’s on the outside,” Murphy said, “we have to sandblast the paint off. Had it been on the inside we could’ve just painted over it.”

Also, Sunday morning staff discovered broken security lights by the new bathroom near the Eighth Street entrance.

Vandalism is something that park personnel are familiar with, Scarborough said. In the past they have discovered graffiti on the stage and the new bathroom and broken Christmas decorations.

Park personnel said they are looking into security cameras to help deter any future vandalism but any plans for them are incomplete.

The vandalized bathroom has already been cleaned up and re-opened to the public.

To contact reporter Chivaun Perez, call 382-4321.