The Tampa Police Department is investigating vandalism to artwork and a nearby city kiosk at Perry Harvey Park.
The artwork is a unique and contextual collection of four major artworks that tell the story of the African-American community and Historic Central Avenue, which was made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. The kiosk is part of the IKE Smart City kiosk program, designed to help residents and visitors explore the city, one of thirty installed throughout Tampa.
“The vandalism of this artwork is an insult to our community and to all those who contributed to its creation,” said Chief Lee Bercaw. “It is disappointing to think anyone would cause destruction to this artistic representation of our city’s history. We are working to identify those responsible for this senseless act.”
Detectives are currently working to gather evidence and develop leads to apprehend those responsible, including working with nearby residents and local business partners to review any video footage that may have been captured in the area.
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Tampa Police Department at 813.231.6130, or Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 800.873.TIPS.