Middletown officials say that they are putting plans into place to install security cameras in public parks after a playground was vandalized over the weekend.

“Once the public and the community knows there are cameras in almost all of the parks, maybe they'll be less inclined to take a chance,” says public safety director Anthony Mercantante.

The push for cameras comes after Countryside Park on Cherry Tree Farm Road was vandalized Friday night. The vandals spray-painted a profanity and other words like “sex,” “drugs” and “Satan” on the children’s playground equipment.

“Eventually [cameras] will be in all parks. We’ll do it in phases,” Mercantante says. “We’ll do it in some of our bigger parks first.”

Officials say that the town has been approved for a Green Acres grant and loan to help pay for the cameras.

“I suspect that over the summer months we'll go out for bids and award a contract and hopefully by the end of the summer will be installing the cameras,” says Mercantante.

The public safety director says that painting profanities on a children’s playground “is really crossing the line.”

Officials say that some signs of the vandalism still remain, but that they will continue to treat it until it is all gone.