Prichard municipal stadium vandalized

PRICHARD, Ala. (WALA) - Prichard police said vandals did quite a bit of damage to Prichard Municipal Stadium.

They said the damage was found during a regular walk through prior to the start of football season.

Locker rooms and restrooms on both the home and visitor’s side were damaged.

In all, 28 toilets were destroyed, four exterior doors and locks were damaged, tile was damaged from doors being pried open, two water heaters were destroyed, and four sinks were ripped off the walls.

City official Grenetta Ward believes the vandals were after copper.

“We saw a lot of copper had been cut from the different areas and to get to the copper, a lot of vandalism was done to reach the parts of the copper that they needed,” Ward said.

Maurice White coaches Prichard’s semi-pro football league and said the vandalism forced their team to forfeit Saturday’s playoff game, ending their summer season.

“The whole team was disappointed. It just really puts a bad taste in your mouth when you’re trying to do something positive because there is so much negative going on in the city,” White said.

The Prichard Falcons won’t take the field until next year according to White, but high school football teams need the stadium ready by the end of the month.
Vigor is scheduled to open its 2012 high school football season August 31 against Davidson at the stadium.

“This is going to be a full effort by the City of Prichard to have the stadium up and running by game time,” Ward said.

Police and public officials are asking for your help in identifying the vandals. If you have any information, call Prichard police at (251) 452-2211.