On the night of Aug. 21 an individual or possibly individuals threw rocks, a metal pole, garbage and other debris into the St. Ignatius Skatepark bowl along with filling it with three to four feet of water.  

The St. Ignatius Police Department reported this as an act of vandalism and estimated the crime happened between the hours of last Thursday and the following morning. Police chief Jason Acheson said an employee from Pines of Mission, across the street, noticed a hose nearby running into the bowl and disconnected it.  

By the next day the bowl had been drained. On Aug. 26, Acheson said it is usable and the City is assessing it for further damage.   

Acheson said the resources dispatched and needed to clean up the vandalism amounts to $1,500, making this a felony charge. The City will assess if there are further chips or cracks in the concrete that would injure a skater. If repairs are needed this could increase the cost. 

“What may have been a harmless prank, hurts the community,” Acheson said. “It’s selfish because no one can use it until it’s fixed.”  

Acheson said last week he was unable to release leads, but he explained there are some security cameras in the area that could help them determine the individual responsible.  

He pointed out that if they don’t find the person responsible, the repairs will cost the taxpayers of St. Ignatius.  

Acheson said anyone with information should call the department dispatch at 406-883-7301 or the anonymous Crime Stopper Tip Line at 406-721-4444.  

   St. Ignatius Skateboard Park was vandalized by someone filling the concrete bowl with three to four feet of water and throwing rocks along with other debris into it on Aug 21. (Emily Messer/Leader)