I don’t know why anyone would want to take something away from children. Sure we all get jealous sometimes. We covet others’ property. But as to why someone would go to great lengths to take from children seems extreme.

Children don’t have anything that isn’t given to them, and now some local children have a little less.

It was sad to hear this week a local ballpark located where Mission 66 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard meet had been either burglarized or vandalized for the eighth time in three years. Someone has chosen to destroy something that should bring happiness to local children looking for fun, competition and a little exercise.

The city and the league have worked to provide for these children through helping fund the park for basketball, baseball and soccer. I’m sure it has gotten to be tedious to continually put money into the league when officials can’t be sure equipment or concessions will get proper use.

In the latest break-in, equipment and uniforms were the target of the burglaries. Recreation Department director Joe Graves said four dozen new baseballs, 15 gloves, six new bats, two sets of catchers gear, five batting helmets, three sets of game pants, shirts and all the games hats totaling $1,500 were stolen from the building. This has been a major setback for the upcoming baseball season.

These criminals have not stolen anything out of convenience either. In at least two separate incidents, the offenders cut through shingles in the roof to get into the concession stand. This prompted the installation of a new steel roof.

Multiple city departments have combined their efforts to figure out ways to keep the building secure. The conversation about implementing cameras has been discussed, but concerns about them being destroyed like ones places at the city pool when it was vandalized were raised.

As for moving the equipment to a different location, it would be a great burden to pack up every piece of equipment and concession every night and have it stored elsewhere when there is a specific place on-site for everything to be stored.

A heavy-duty steel lock has been placed on the building for security. The lock is not supposed to be able to be broken with bolt cutters, and yet people are still finding a way inside.

The most stunning realization was that many involved believe the culprits know the park well. Graves believes the same people are committing these acts.

I can’t figure out what anyone would do with this stolen equipment. Sure they might could sell it and make a few bucks, but it seems like there are so many better ways to make money. Maybe these individuals don’t know that because they never had a chance to play a sport with their peers at a city park, and maybe it’s a little dramatic way to put it, but now another generation runs the risk of this fate too.