Graffiti and tags cover one of the concrete structures at the Hank Fredette Skate Park. PHOTO/HOPKINTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Hopkinton Police Department is searching for individuals who painted graffiti on the ramps and other structures at the Hank Fredette Skate Park inside EMC Park over the weekend.

In a post on Facebook, the HPD shared images of the graffiti and asked for assistance from residents to find the people responsible.

“This type of vandalism impacts our community spaces and the hard work that goes into creating them, and we are asking for the public’s health,” the post states.

According to Officer Augusto Diaz, the graffiti was reported on Nov. 23 around 9:30 a.m. by a resident. HPD officers investigated the scene, but a lack of security cameras in the area has made finding the individuals responsible difficult.

“We thought it would be best to post it online to see if the community saw anything and to bring awareness about how important it is to take care of the things in our community,” said Diaz.

While Diaz admitted that street art is “kind of the culture” for skating, the fact that some of the graffiti and tags painted at the park contain profanities is an issue.

Diaz also noted that without a way to monitor the skate park regularly, tagging likely will continue. “We do our patrols an we do our checks there, but unless we’re literally posted there … it’s going to happen again,” he said.

One idea Diaz shared for dealing with the issue is a sanctioned street art event at the park to encourage artistic expression and skate culture. Commenters on the HPD’s Facebook post offered similar ideas.

In the meantime, the HPD will continue to search for those involved in the illegal tagging. Diaz noted the crime is a misdemeanor, and those involved could face a fine. According to Massachusetts General Law, individuals convicted of a tagging offense face potential imprisonment of up to two years and fines not less than $1,500 or more than three times the value of the damage to the property.

Those with information on the crime are asked to reach out to Officer Diaz or Sgt. Matthew Santoro at 508-497-3401.