Popular sports field in Middletown ruined after someone drove ‘donuts’ all over the field
The township was notified Wednesday morning about the damage causing the cancelation of soccer and football practices for multiple leagues.
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A town in Monmouth County is working to get more security cameras placed in their parks after a soccer field was reportedly vandalized, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars.
The Lincroft Acres Soccer field in Middletown Township will not be in use this season for hundreds of kids. The field was ruined by tire tracks where the driver did donuts, driving around in circles until it was ruined.
Ted Dallhoff's son plays for the Monmouth United Soccer Club which uses the field for practice.
“Families set up their chairs to watch their kids play soccer here. It's very surprising that someone would come out here and do this to this field,” says Dallhoff.
The township was notified Wednesday morning about the damage causing the cancelation of soccer and football practices for multiple leagues.
The suspects could face a fine of up to $1,500. But it's minimal compared to the cost of fixing the damages.
"New Jersey doesn't allow you to get restitution, so if minors cause damage to a park and it costs you $10,000 to repair it, you can't get the $10,000 back from anyone,” says Township Administrator Tony Mercantante. “The taxpayers are paying that $10,000.”
Lincroft Acres is one of the most popular parks in the county because it has lights. Soon it will also have security cameras. The township plans to install them in all of its nearly 40 parks by the end of 2025.
For now, those who use the field almost every evening will have to relocate.
"Hundreds of kids benefit from having these parks and fields available to them,” says Mercantante. “Now this one is shut down simply because somebody decided to joyride on a field and take it out of use for the rest of the community."
It's hard to say how long repairs will take but township officials confirm that it'll be down for the rest of the season.
