Vandalism in Riverfront Park

Section:Gallery

UPDATED: Wed., May 7, 2025

Riverfront Park rangers Jake Vandenberg, left, and Jacob Stout look toward the Spokane River at a fire started by a camper under the Monroe Street Bridge on April 18.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Stepwell, an art sculpture designed for people to sit inside of and look toward the river from an elevated perch, is sometimes locked up to avoid more issues as it was often hit with graffiti and vandalism, as well as urban campers. The structure, built from laminated wood, has also started to show cracks as it has weathered over the years.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Drug paraphernalia is commonly found amongst the litter in Riverfront Park, shown Friday, April 18, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. This was found with dozens of pieces of foil, which is used to ingest fentanyl, meth and other drugs.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Riverfront Park rangers drive down Huntington Park along the waterfalls of the Spokane River to investigate a fire started by a camper under the Monroe Street Bridge Friday, April 18, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. The rangers patrol Riverfront Park, bike trails and conservation areas, and often encounter urban campers, litter and open drug use.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Riverfront Park Ranger Jake Vandenberg, left, talks with Spokane Parks staffer Striker Jackson, right, as they look around the Place of Truths Plaza on the south side of the Spokane River gorge Friday, April 18, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. The rangers and other parks staff work together to keep an eye on Riverfront Park, bike trails and conservation areas.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
The glass is on the back of the display case holding a metal sculpture of a harp was shattered by vandals, shown April 17. The sculpture is part of the Sister Cities “Connection Garden” in Riverfront Park.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Riverfront Park staff clean up around a heavily burned park bench in the Place of Truths Plaza, the overlook behind the Spokane Public Library shown Friday, April 18, 2025. Parks workers said the damaged bench was surrounded by dozens of pieces of foil, used to smoke fentanyl, meth and other substances.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Park ranger Jake Vandenberg, upper left, stomps out a campfire while ranger Jacob Stout, below, talk with the man who started the fire by the Spokane River under the Monroe Street Bridge Friday, April 18, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. The rangers patrol Riverfront Park, bike trails and conservation areas, and often encounter urban campers, litter and open drug use.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Riverfront Park ranger Jacob Stout hops across a season creek in Riverfront Park to check out a camper who was sleeping in the natural area near the Howard Street bridge Friday, April 18, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. The rangers patrol Riverfront Park, bike trails and conservation areas, and often encounter urban campers, litter and open drug use.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Garrett Jones, Spokane Parks director, talks about the scenic beauty of Spokane's Riverfront Park at the Place of Truths Plaza Friday, April 18, 2025 and acknowledges that the parks department battles vandalism, litter and urban campers everyday.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Riverfront Park rangers Jake Vandenberg, left, and Jacob Stout, right, walk through the Place of Truths plaza near the Monroe Street Bridge Friday, April 18, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. The rangers patrol Riverfront Park, bike trails and conservation areas, and often encounter urban campers, litter and open drug use.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
A heavily burned park bench in the Place of Truths Plaza, the overlook behind the Spokane Public Library, is left from drug addicts shown Friday, April 18, 2025. Parks workers said the damaged bench was surrounded by dozens of burned pieces of foil, which are smoke fentanyl, meth and other substances.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Park rangers Jake Vandenberg, top, and Jacob Stout, below, talk with a man who had started a fire and was drying his clothes by the Spokane River under the Monroe Street Bridge Friday, April 18, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. The rangers patrol Riverfront Park, bike trails and conservation areas, and often encounter urban campers, litter and open drug use.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi