LUCEDALE, Miss. (WKRG) – A recent wave of vandalism throughout Lucedale has drawn the ire of city leaders.

Public works staff have found tire tracks on some of the city soccer fields from people driving donuts on it.

Staff put out fall decorations earlier this month, but heads and clothes on scarecrows have come up missing on a few occasions.

“We’re trying to do something but we’re just spinning our wheels at times,” said Mayor Doug Lee.

Flowers have also been stolen on Main Street while the planter basket was hung back up with the contents gone. In Kate Havard Park, crews had to replant cattails after they were broken off.

“I was real disappointed,” said Public Works Director Tammy Cochran. “We work hard to put them up and do all this downtown and spend money. Then one night they just came through. It’s kind of disheartening. We’ve got a lot of vandalism this year that doesn’t normally happen.”

Bathrooms have also been vandalized in Benyard Park and the city’s downtown information kiosk. Police found a person camped out with personal belongings adorning the floors in the kiosk earlier this month.

The city received a quote for security cameras at the ballfields recently for about $40,000 over five years. Aldermen are exploring less expensive options to install in the parks and downtown.

“We’re gonna have to do something with cameras on city-owned property to catch some of these folks and make an example out of them,” said Mayor Lee.

Security cameras in neighboring Leakesville just went online earlier this month. The town is leasing 28 cameras from Mississippi Power for about $2,000 per month, about $120,000 over five years.