A downtown beautification project in Harrisburg is backfiring.
Business owners say landscaping rocks on the State Street median are now being used to smash into their buildings or cars.
Several people say their businesses have been vandalized using the rocks. One man says when one of them was thrown through his window, the smasher then took off with his flat screen and DVD player.
“Someone took a rock, threw it through a window and the rock went down inside, window was shattered,” explained Ken Robinson of Quantum Communications.
Robinson says the object that smashed through his window that led to his flat screen TV and a DVD player being stolen was from right in front of his building.
Last fall, Harrisburg Young Professionals spearheaded a beautification project and put in rocks on the State Street barrier. But the project is rocking businesses the wrong way.
“Talk to a number of businesses up and down the street and a little discussion about how unfortunate it is that these rocks have been used fairly regularly since put in to break car windows,” Robinson continued. ”We know of one down the street that was hit, as was ours.”
Robinson says they are just too easy access for criminals.
“They are about fist size rocks, they are very convenient to pick things up,” Robinson commented.
“I said to someone if we ever have a riot at the Capitol, we just armed rioters and I've heard other business people say the same thing about potential to damage businesses, it's what unfortunately has been happening.”
He worries it's only a matter of time before they are used as weapons to hurt people, not just property.
But, he has no ill will toward Harrisburg Young Professionals. He still supports them, just questions the project.
“It's unfortunate, I think HYP folks really meant well and we appreciate the thinking it just seems someone sold them a very bad solution,” Robinson concluded.
HYP sent us a statement, saying “We will continue to invest significant resources; both time and money into making Harrisburg a better place to live, learn, work and play. It is unfortunate that a few individuals have chosen to commit random, isolated acts of vandalism.'
Business owners say landscaping rocks on the State Street median are now being used to smash into their buildings or cars.
Several people say their businesses have been vandalized using the rocks. One man says when one of them was thrown through his window, the smasher then took off with his flat screen and DVD player.
“Someone took a rock, threw it through a window and the rock went down inside, window was shattered,” explained Ken Robinson of Quantum Communications.
Robinson says the object that smashed through his window that led to his flat screen TV and a DVD player being stolen was from right in front of his building.
Last fall, Harrisburg Young Professionals spearheaded a beautification project and put in rocks on the State Street barrier. But the project is rocking businesses the wrong way.
“Talk to a number of businesses up and down the street and a little discussion about how unfortunate it is that these rocks have been used fairly regularly since put in to break car windows,” Robinson continued. ”We know of one down the street that was hit, as was ours.”
Robinson says they are just too easy access for criminals.
“They are about fist size rocks, they are very convenient to pick things up,” Robinson commented.
“I said to someone if we ever have a riot at the Capitol, we just armed rioters and I've heard other business people say the same thing about potential to damage businesses, it's what unfortunately has been happening.”
He worries it's only a matter of time before they are used as weapons to hurt people, not just property.
But, he has no ill will toward Harrisburg Young Professionals. He still supports them, just questions the project.
“It's unfortunate, I think HYP folks really meant well and we appreciate the thinking it just seems someone sold them a very bad solution,” Robinson concluded.
HYP sent us a statement, saying “We will continue to invest significant resources; both time and money into making Harrisburg a better place to live, learn, work and play. It is unfortunate that a few individuals have chosen to commit random, isolated acts of vandalism.'