A man with a hammer was seen breaking windows on Calgary’s Peace Bridge early Sunday morning, according to police.
Police received a call about 4:15 a.m. Sunday of a man vandalizing the Peace Bridge, Sgt. John Guigon told CBC News.
Guigon said police chased the man on foot but lost him.
The only description police have of the suspect is of a 40- to 45-year-old man wearing gray jeans. Guigon said the man may have had a shopping cart at one point, but police didn’t see one when they arrived at the scene.
Police have some surveillance footage from the scene, Guigon said. Their investigation into the incident is active and ongoing.
A man was seen smashing the glass panels of the Peace Bridge with a hammer on Sunday morning. (Jo Horwood/CBC)
Guigon said acts of vandalism occur around the city regularly, but this event was unusual.
“There have been other acts of vandalism on this bridge in the past, but not to the same level as this,” he said.
Guigon said police have promising leads in their investigation and believe the case “may be solvable.”
“Actually, it’s probably a person who abuses drugs or alcohol, I suspect, is what it boils down to, or [someone] experience some kind of emotional crisis and act out.”
Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong said about 80 percent of the bridge’s side panels have been damaged.
He said the repairs will be “extremely expensive”. The city already spends approximately $80,000 per year to remove and replace broken panels at the peace bridge
Wong said there are additional panels in stock to replace the broken glass, but he is unsure if there is enough supply to cover the extent of the damage caused by this incident. At this time, according to Wong, the time frame for fixing the damage is not known.
A constant problem
In June, the city announced it had hired a consultant to find alternative material options for the bridge’s glass panels. Recommendations are expected in the fall.
About a month ago, the city also posted signs on the bridge to deter vandalism.
“Whether this has made a difference or not, I think it’s a little early to tell,” Wong said of the posters.
“I think we need to get the message out … that these assets are very much appreciated by all Calgarians and tourists and visitors.”
Wong said he encourages people to report any acts of vandalism they see.
Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong said about 80 percent of the bridge’s side panels have been damaged. (Jo Horwood/CBC)
According to Wong, in the wake of the pandemic restrictions, many more people are enjoying the city’s parks and outdoor spaces.
“We hate to destroy that enjoyment by having people destroy the amenities that we pay a lot of taxes for.”
Wong said there are measures the city could look at to improve safety on the bridge, such as more video surveillance or adding emergency call buttons that people could press if they spot an act of vandalism.