BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Profanity-laced graffiti lined one of the blue slides at Railroad Park in Blue Springs Sunday afternoon.
The bad words caught the eye of 11-year-old Kaden Thomas.
"I was running around playing tag with my siblings and I just found some words on the slide that aren't kid-friendly," said Kaden Thomas.
He immediately alerted his stepmom to the words.
"I just felt like somebody needed to deal with it, so no other kids would be able to read it and learn those words,” Kaden said.
His stepmom went over to the slide and said she couldn't believe her eyes.
"I don't understand why they would do it to a place where they know younger children are going to be," Kristiauna Waguespack said.
The graffiti has been on the slides since at least last Friday when Waguespack took pictures of the words. She said she’s glad Kaden alerted her so fast that something wasn't right.
"It was almost shocking to me too that [Kaden] knew that those words weren't friendly and he knew that they weren't appropriate. That's when it stung the worst because it was like 'wow,’ you know? Not only is this something that he has seen, but he also understands that they are bad so it is an eye-opener to the kind of world they live in," Waguespack said.
But not all parents at Railroad Park feel the same way.
"It's unfortunate that it's not being respected as it should, but at the same time it's the world today and we can’t necessarily protect her from everything that she's going to see," Alicia Swapp, mother of a 4-year-old daughter, said.
Swapp said they can only control so much that happens in her daughter's life.
"We're not going to avoid it, but I think if we can teach her to deal with those types of things in the best way possible, that's really all we can do," Troy Swapp said.
Kaden said he hopes whoever is responsible for the graffiti stops.
"I would just tell them they should feel very ashamed for themselves for making other kids that young have to learn those words because they are really bad for other kids,” Kaden said.
The city of Blue Springs released this statement to 41 Action News:
"Blue Springs Police Department is investigating the vandalism incident at Railroad Park and Parks staff is working to clean the area as thoroughly as possible. There are no suspects at this time.
It is disheartening when an incident like this occurs at any playground. We have a great community and the actions of a few will not discourage our efforts to make the improvements outlined in the Parks Sales Tax program and provide the best facilities possible."
If you have any information on the vandalism, you are asked to call the Blue Springs Police Department at 816-228-0151.
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