‘Malicious’ vandalism reported at metro-east library

Police say the front glass door of a metro-east public library was damaged by rocks — not gunshots — sometime Monday night, and library workers believe the vandal, or vandals, came back Tuesday night to finish what they had started.

Library Director Carol Brockmeyer recalled what she considered minor acts of vandalism done to the library in the past, but Brockmeyer said she had never seen damage as “malicious” as what happened earlier this week in the past 13 years she’s worked at the Daugherty Public Library District. The library is located at 220 S. 5th St. in Dupo.

Employees said they found glass hanging off the door frame early Tuesday morning.

“When we came this morning, the whole glass was falling down to where they had been messing with it again last night and further damage was done,” Brockmeyer said on Wednesday. “I don’t think they’re trying to gain access into the building. I think, in my personal opinion, it’s young people. They’re mad or they’re out to prove something that they can get by with.”

For the village library, 2016 has been tough, Brockmeyer said. In May, the library said it was short thousands of dollars as its property value dropped and tax dollar revenue declined. On Wednesday, Brockmeyer estimated more than $2,000 in damages.

“The terrible thing about it all is it’s a hardship on the library where we’re already struggling to make ends meet. Yes, we do have insurance for this kind of thing, but we still have a deductible and that’s got to be paid for, so that stresses the budget that we have,” Brockmeyer said. “It’s just a bad situation all the way around.”

Since Tuesday, the Dupo Police Department said it’s been investigating the damage done at the library as a criminal act.

According to information provided by Dupo Sgt. Kevin Smith, police received the report Tuesday morning from library employees. Police said whoever damaged the door did not gain entry into the library.

The library said the glass on the door was already cracked after a recent storm, but employees suspected that rocks found outside the door as well as a flagpole was used to make it shatter. Brockmeyer said the flagpole that was found did not belong to the library.

The top of a small picnic table was also damaged outside the building, she said.

Police said the door would be boarded up by Wednesday.

The investigation was ongoing.

A photo shared on Facebook by Dupo Fire & EMS showed many cracks and spots where the door was struck multiple times. The photo was shared online late Tuesday, and since then, it’s been shared more than 100 times.

“Just wanted our neighbors to see what someone did to the front door of the library last night,” Dupo Fire & EMS wrote.

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 9:45 AM with the headline "‘Malicious’ vandalism reported at metro-east library."