Albert Lea Tribune

What runs through somebody’s mind when they set out to vandalize something?

It’s a question we have asked multiple times in the last month particularly, as we have seen damage reported in the community.

First, it was damage to more than 100 gravesites at Graceland Cemetery. Some of the gravesites damaged dated back to the late 1890s. On top of the damage to the gravesites, pots in the military section of the cemetery were tipped over, and a light that illuminates the flag at the veterans memorial was broken out.

This week, we’ve heard reports of damage to the holiday decorations at the Freeborn County Historical Museum. Two dozen lights were broken.

Someone specifically removed the bulbs and placed them back on backwards, causing the bulbs not to light. Wires were reportedly cut, and a three-way adaptor was also stolen.

The damage came a year after 100 bulbs were stolen from the museum in 2015.

Graceland Cemetery had reportedly also seen damage previously.

Each time we hear of this damage, it is saddening.

Who is causing it?

Are these cases or any others linked, or were they simply one-time occurrences? At this time, it’s too soon to tell.

Volunteers have undergone efforts to clean up both locations, but in the meantime, the perpetrator or possible perpetrators still have not been found.

Are these vandals involved in any other cases of damage across the community?

According to the Minnesota Uniform Crime Report, there were 22 actual cases of vandalism reported to the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office in 2015 and 109 to the Albert Lea Police Department. How many of these cases were linked to each other was not immediately available.

In light of many unanswered questions, we encourage parents to talk to your children.

Encourage respect— not only for personal property but for all people and for places that many consider consecrated.

Parents, talk to your children — no matter the age — about these values.

There’s never an excuse for vandalism.