Navy Point neighbors band together to deter graffiti taggers and vandals

Ted Hawthorne and his wife moved to Navy Point about a year ago. They love the Pensacola community, the parks and the area’s natural beauty. That’s why Hawthorne stepped in to help clean up when he saw graffiti sprayed on and under the Navy Point Bridge, the morning of Sunday, March 3. Items at nearby Linear Park were also tagged including the sidewalk, a bench, a portable restroom, fence, trash can, and even a live oak tree.   Hawthorne said this is the latest of several recent graffiti tagging incidents at the park and the bridge. He said vandals hit it this past February, as well as last fall. Hawthorne and the neighborhood crime watch are now working with Escambia County Parks and Recreation staff to help tackle any graffiti, damage or trash left behind at the park. He said they don’t want the Navy Point Bridge to become like Pensacola’s popular Graffiti Bridge. “This park is why my wife and I moved here and it’s a beautiful place that belongs to everyone, and we’re just doing our little part,” Hawthorne said. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the broken window theory of crime prevention, that small crimes beget larger ones. It...