JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Inwood Beach in San Marco is a popular hangout spot for families, but it has also recently become the target of graffiti vandals.
Some people living along Inwood Terrace are upset because the beach had just been fixed up after Hurricane Matthew.
When people come to Inwood Beach, located at the end of Inwood Terrace off Hendricks Avenue, they're accustomed to seeing colorful murals to go along with the colorful walkway down to the water. But Tuesday, Daryl Gottlie and his wife noticed spray-painted graffiti.
"We saw it just yesterday and it was just disappointing," Gottlie told News4Jax on Wednesday.
This was disappointing because Gottlie and several other neighbors have spent their own money and time to keep this the small beach attractive.
"Well after the hurricane, the city came in with FEMA funds and they did a lot of cleanup work, and then prior to that, we did a crowdfunding campaign to get rid of the previous graffiti," Gottlie said. "What it is now is nothing compared to what it was then. We had a professional muralist come in and we had neighborhood cleanup day."
Surveillance cameras are set up, but News4Jax was told they're not working. The graffiti has not only upset neighbors, but also people who come to do still photography.
News4Jax caught up with a photographer and a model who had just learned about the graffiti.
"It really is a nice area where people can come and take pictures, obviously, and relax," model Isabelle Santana said. "It's really pretty. All the murals are gorgeous, but the graffiti obviously ruins it."
"To feel like you have the right to go ruin property in general or literally decide that you want to just ruin the aesthetic of a place in Jacksonville that people come and visit just doesn’t make any sense to me," photographer Jil Responte said. "I don't know why anyone would want to do that."
One of the homeowners said he would like to get more surveillance cameras installed, especially cameras that could look down onto the beach.