WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Lincoln Park troll sculpture vandalized (update: cleaned); car windows smashed in school lot

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch so far today:

TROLL VANDALIZED: Thanks for the tips, and to Tom Trulin for the photo. 20 days after the completion of Bruun Idun the troll sculpture in Lincoln Park, someone has vandalized her with spray paint. Per our policy, we are not showing it in its entirety; basically it’s black spray paint in an outline of shorts. The sculpture was privately funded, built with the help of local volunteers as well as artist Thomas Dambo and his crew, but it’s on Seattle Parks land, so we asked about their vandalism-response plan for the troll, and just got this response: “We’ll be cleaning off graffiti today. And we plan to address any [other] vandalism as it comes.” 3:47 PM: Tom just sent a new photo – the troll’s been cleaned:

CARS VANDALIZED IN SCHOOL LOT: Reported by Erin:

My daughter’s car and two others were vandalized at the West Seattle High School parking lot last night. Sometime between 4:00 and 9:00 p.m. The girls’ volleyball team was at an away game and when they came back there were three cars that had windows broken out and windshields vandalized. All three cars were different makes and models and were not parked next to each other. Ours was a Hyundai but had The Club – thanks to the Seattle Police – so at least it didn’t get stolen! We’ve all filed police reports and are checking to see if there is video footage (from the school).

shufflerunner September 14, 2023 (12:46 pm)

I’m disappointed but not surprised.

Make Seattle Great Again September 14, 2023 (4:26 pm)

I don’t know why anyone would expect anything different. Allowing misdemeanors to go unpunished, as is the trend from our increasingly ineffective city government, means that for some people there is literally no reason NOT to do stuff like this. Policies matter. Little things matter. And pretending that somehow if we just wish and hope hard enough that people will do the right thing is simply not good enough. We deserve better.

JW September 14, 2023 (12:49 pm)

C’mon man! An artist did something beautiful for our community and someone vandalized it! Why am I not surprised! What a shameful and disgusting act!

Alki resident September 14, 2023 (12:52 pm)

I knew it wouldn’t take long to vandalize this. It’s completely isolated down there and people suck. I hope the guy that did this feels super proud of himself.

Jeepney September 14, 2023 (2:10 pm)

I agree that the vandalism sucks, but do you have specific information it was a male that did it?
- neighbor September 14, 2023 (3:41 pm)
  
  @Jeepney, people of a certain age were taught in school that he/him pronouns could be used when gender was in question. What with our less male-centric world today and more inclusive stance toward pronouns I understand your confusion, but please try not to take offense where none was intended.

aRF September 14, 2023 (12:53 pm)

It was never a question of if the troll would get vandalized, but by which method and which disturbed cohort.

ottomatix September 14, 2023 (12:57 pm)

The vandalism of the troll is just sad.

Brian September 14, 2023 (1:07 pm)

Took about a week longer than I expected. The troll is cool and we can’t have cool things.

waikikigirl September 14, 2023 (1:15 pm)

This has been in the back of my mind that something would happen to the Troll but hoping it wouldn’t, just shows how disrespectful “some” people are .

shotinthefoot September 14, 2023 (1:38 pm)

as soon as that lovely troll went up, I knew some little lowlife would vandalize it. we just can’t have nice things.

WS4life September 14, 2023 (1:59 pm)

And this is why we can’t have nice things…

Lee September 14, 2023 (2:06 pm)

Why do people do this?

Christopher B. September 14, 2023 (3:49 pm)

Maybe because we live in a culture that lacks Collectivism, doesn’t prioritize respect for other people’s property, and abhors the notion of personal responsibility?

Mike September 14, 2023 (2:06 pm)

I knew this would happen. People suck..

HS September 14, 2023 (2:27 pm)

So disappointing. I imagine the spray paint will be challenging to remove from wood but I appreciate the Seattle Parks for trying to clean it.

It also makes me disappointed that out of all the troll sculptures, ours is the only one to be defaced.

Pamela September 14, 2023 (2:36 pm)

This is why most of us hurried to go see the Troll, we knew it wouldn’t be long before someone ruined it.

Alki resident September 14, 2023 (7:40 pm)

YES sadly I had my daughter and grandsons rush down there the first weekend for this very reason. It was inevitable that someone would do damage somehow.

Any September 14, 2023 (2:38 pm)

I saw it earlier today as I rode by. I’m glad the park service has a response plan in place. I saw Thomas Dambo on Vashon Island Tuesday evening and he gave a great talk. His artistic endeavors started with graffiti. It would be interesting to know what he thinks about this type of vandalism of his creation. I wasn’t impressed with this vandal’s level of artistry. 😉

Socialcontract September 14, 2023 (2:55 pm)

I hope the graffiti artist watches how the community rallies around the sculpture artist to erase his mark, restore, and celebrate the original work.

Anne September 14, 2023 (9:44 pm)

Oh please-wasn’t done by any”graffiti artist” .

Justducky September 14, 2023 (3:42 pm)

I saw that the parks department cleaned her up and she’s back to her natural self.

WSB September 14, 2023 (3:49 pm)

Just got and added a photo above – indeed, cleaned.

Sim September 14, 2023 (5:25 pm)

I guarantee this doesn’t happen everywhere where a troll has been built! The troll in issaquah is also cool and the walking trail was so nice and peaceful and an extremely clean bathroom in the community center! Nothing inside the bathroom or buildings were tagged with graffiti. I didn’t see any graffiti in the area in issaquah I drove around. Interesting to see a community that doesn’t look like crap with graffiti.

Rick September 15, 2023 (1:16 pm)

Remember, that’s in Issaquah.

waikikigirl September 14, 2023 (5:28 pm)

Has the face of the troll been vandalized too, or does the 2nd pictures angle just make it look that way?

WSB September 14, 2023 (5:46 pm)

There was nothing on her face, as shown in the 1st photo.
- waikikigirl September 14, 2023 (6:25 pm)
  
  UGH…Guess I’m going to have to go get new glasses! LOL!🤓
Barb September 14, 2023 (7:24 pm)

I wondered that too, but I think the second picture angle is hiding the right portion of her face with a flute she is holding to call the Orcas. There’s a nice photo of her in this Smithsonian article. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-giant-trolls-taking-over-the-pacific-northwest-180982875/Thank you parks for the quick repair.
- waikikigirl September 15, 2023 (7:34 am)
  
  Thank you Barb for the explanation of what I was seeing, no need quite yet for new glasses! 😉 And you too WSB for your never-ending hard work!

Angry September 14, 2023 (5:30 pm)

This boils my blood. I’ll never understand some people. We can’t have anything nice.

Marty2 September 14, 2023 (5:51 pm)

I wonder if a webcam (Troll Cam) could be installed on the Colman Pool building so anyone can view the Troll 24/7 and also monitor for vandalism.

Steve September 15, 2023 (1:00 pm)

I wonder if there’s not already a cam at Colman that could maybe just be turned to face the troll and repurposed?

Also John September 14, 2023 (6:00 pm)

Can’t we have something nice for everyone to enjoy without some punk ruining it? Come on man….why?

The Earl September 14, 2023 (6:57 pm)

Complete and utter F****ry.

Guy September 14, 2023 (8:13 pm)

Let’s get a surveillance camera hooked up!

I Love Idun So Much September 14, 2023 (9:22 pm)

Idun already feels like a friend, my favorite thing in West Seattle. An amazing gift to our community. Love her most at sunset, totally magical. Stand back vandals!!!!

D-Mom September 14, 2023 (10:46 pm)

Agree completely! She’s a beloved member of the community now. It breaks my heart that someone already did this.
Sara September 18, 2023 (8:38 pm)

Yes! She feels like my friend, too! I have been enjoying evenings when there are fewer people around and I sit with her. She is so beautiful and calming. I am so glad that the vandals didn’t win. Thank you to the parks people who helped clean her. <3

Alki Jack September 14, 2023 (9:34 pm)

Security Camera’s are a good idea, except… Vandals and burglars these days, wear hoodies, dark sweat pants and face masks and have zero respect for others property. The point is what are they being taught by their parents.

Troll fan September 14, 2023 (9:36 pm)

The vandals made a serious mistake messing with whimsy. That’s some majorly bad karma. Good work restoration team.

Admiral-2009 September 14, 2023 (10:28 pm)

Troll fan – agreed hoping some bad karma bites the perp(s) that defaced the troll!

MM September 14, 2023 (11:42 pm)

Maybe these Trolls should be used to catch the punks that paint graffiti all over our city? Draw them in and the trolls physically cach’em in the act

Kat September 15, 2023 (2:49 am)

I agree having a live troll cam where the community can watch her would be fascinating.

Alki parent September 15, 2023 (7:48 am)

So if the volleyball girls were parked apart, does that mean their cars specifically were targeted and bashed in? Were the cars the only ones in the parking lot? I suppose it’s hard to know due the span of time. I’m sorry girls that sucks.

Cid September 15, 2023 (7:50 am)

I was so upset reading about this yesterday. These wonderful Trolls are all over the world and ours gets tagged in just a couple of weeks? What scum. BUT yay Park’s District workers!

Troll Watcher September 15, 2023 (9:52 am)

I was driving over the WS Bridge this morning around 940 am and saw a flatbed truck with a giant troll in two parts on the back of it. Not sure if it was THE Lincoln Park troll.

WSB September 15, 2023 (9:54 am)

Not our troll. That’s the one on the way to Ballard. I’m writing about it momentarily.

anonyme September 15, 2023 (10:08 am)

Lack of respect, lack of accountability, lack of law enforcement – this came as no surprise. But I agree with CID that it’s particularly shameful that our troll is the only one to have been vandalized. We’re breeding a special kind of turd around here. Next time they try it (and they will) I hope the baseball bat guy is around.

WSB September 15, 2023 (10:49 am)

We did not say this was the only troll vandalized and I don’t know, nor do I currently have the time to research. Local-news coverage is spotty in many places so who knows if other incidents have happened and not brought to light.
- Artie? September 15, 2023 (11:00 am)
  
  What is public art?
  A viable question may be wether the trolls can be ‘vandalized.’
  After all, it is artwork from ‘trash’ that is intended degrade over time.
  It is not intended to be roped off in isolation in some museum.
  As such I wonder how the artist would be feel about people responding to his art rather than simply posing for selfies and social media (he admits to working in graffiti in the past).
  I would prefer the Parks maintenance crews attend to ever growing backlogs in Parks, than rush to save an intentionally decaying artwork.
  - WTF September 15, 2023 (8:34 pm)
    
    You thought that…then actually said it!
- WSB September 15, 2023 (11:08 am)
  
  OK, I took two minutes to google Dambo troll vandalism and stories from elsewhere pop up such as
  https://www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey/troll-trash-sculpture-vandalism-hainesport-new-jersey-20230908.html
  (MANY stories on that one)
  - Artie? September 15, 2023 (11:38 am)
    
    Thanks for the link WSB!
    It reports Dambo acknowledges, embraces and includes graffiti in his “trash” sculptures.
    
    “And some of the preexisting graffiti on the studio building — sans explicit language and imagery — is being preserved, Clauss said.“I hope that they will see that we can make something of what is just considered worthless or discarded,” Dambo previously told The Inquirer.“I hope people will see the size of my sculptures and will ultimately just be a marketing campaign for changing how we recycle trash.” The Philadelphia Inquirer

Beth September 15, 2023 (8:31 pm)

Not in the least bit surprised. And the sad thing of it all, is that I’m not alone in that.

Sad Troll Lover September 16, 2023 (8:24 am)

IMMEDiATELY MOVE our beautiful new West Seattle troll out of Lincoln Park to a more visible location where she can be safe from this heart-wrenching vandalism!!! Please please please!!!

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