Someone in San Diego clearly has a grudge against Balboa Park's new parking meters, and the city is now putting cash on the table to catch them. Officials are offering a reward of up to $1,000 for tips after vandals damaged dozens of newly installed parking pay stations in and around the park, knocking machines out of service and fueling an already heated fight over paid parking there.
The reward was announced on Feb. 10, and, according to CBS 8, the damage tally comes to about $77,000 in repair and replacement costs. Roughly 52 newly installed pay stations were taken out of commission over the course of several weeks, and investigators are urging anyone who knows what happened to speak up.
The sabotage has reportedly involved paste or foam packed into keypads, shattered touch screens, green spray paint and other tactics that shut down card and cash payments at the kiosks. Earlier coverage described some of the first incidents back in December, with expanding foam and other material that officers collected and swabbed for DNA, as reported by the UCSD Guardian.
Where The Damage Happened
City officials say the vandals hit meters and kiosks scattered across several blocks near the park, including the 2700–3200 blocks of Balboa Drive, the 1900 block of Eighth Avenue, the 600 block of Juniper Street, the 2800 and 3300 blocks of Park Boulevard, the 1800–2900 blocks of Sixth Avenue and the 1800 block of Village Place, according to CBS 8. That spread covers Balboa Park's West Mesa, parts of Bankers Hill and nearby street corridors.
City Response And The Reward
The city is working with San Diego County Crime Stoppers to collect tips. Crime Stoppers notes that information can be submitted anonymously and that rewards are paid "up to" the amounts that are approved. Tipsters can call the hotline at 888-580-8477 or send details online through sdcrimestoppers.org.
Context: Paid Parking And Backlash
Paid parking inside Balboa Park launched on Jan. 5 as part of a city plan to manage congestion and help pay for park upkeep. The City of San Diego outlines the new rates and pass options on its Balboa Park parking page. The rollout has sparked protests and earlier rounds of vandalism aimed at the new kiosks, and Mayor Todd Gloria recently announced changes to the program that expand free parking for verified city residents, according to the city's parking page and reporting by the Times of San Diego. Local TV coverage has also pointed out that each kiosk costs about $5,400 to install, a figure officials cite when they talk about replacement costs.
Legal Implications
Police have emphasized that vandalizing city property is a crime, and investigators say they have collected evidence from the damaged machines, including swabs from the areas that were tampered with. Depending on the value of the losses and how the case is built, suspects could face felony vandalism charges under state law. Prosecutors weigh the amount of damage and the facts uncovered in the investigation when deciding on charges, the UCSD Guardian reported.
How To Help
Anyone who saw something unusual near the affected blocks, or who has video from the area, is urged to save the footage with timestamps and contact Crime Stoppers or the San Diego Police Department with as many specifics as possible. Crime Stoppers notes that tips leading to an arrest may qualify for a reward.
