The sand volleyball courts near Arena Park in Cape Girardeau have been closed for the majority of the week after two teenage girls discovered paring knives hidden in the sand on Monday. One sustained a minor cut to her leg.
Parks and Recreation director Julia Jones says staff closed the facility Monday evening, and combed through the sand the following morning with rakes and metal detectors to check for any other hidden items.
She says they encourage park goers to keep a watchful eye out for any suspicious activity.
“If it was intentional, it’s obviously an extremely sick situation and incident, and fearful for those that just want to get out, recreate, and have a good time,” says Jones.
Jones says park staff will continue to check for harmful debris in play areas. In the meantime, they are currently researching security camera installations for various play areas, but no final decisions have been made.
The adult sand volleyball league has been postponed over the matter. Jones says they will likely open the courts next week.