Glassport church seeks help dealing with vandalism, loitering

Jamie Trunzo appeared before council Tuesday and outlined several recent incidents.

By THOMAS LETURGEY
For the MVI

Members of Glassport United Methodist Church have reached out to borough officials to help with a vandalism problem before the situation gets more serious.

Garbage has been tossed down the stairwell into Glassport United Methodist Church’s basement and a computer chair has dented the door. Photo courtesy of Glassport United Methodist Church.

Jamie Trunzo spoke Tuesday to Glassport Borough Council officials, including her husband, Councilman Paul Trunzo.

“First off, people don’t even realize that the Methodist church is open, because it’s so small,” she said. “We’re lucky to get 10 people there on Sundays.”

She explained that the church has dealt with vandalism in the past and identified the juvenile, who ultimately paid for damages to the 130-year-old building.

But Trunzo says they’ve experienced issues throughout the summer, “and we have signs that say ‘no loitering’ on church property,” she said. “Which apparently they apparently don’t read or don’t care. Mostly, they don’t care.”

The front steps are damaged, “so we have them blocked off so nobody would get hurt,” she added.

The church has made repairs to outside railings that were deteriorating, Jamie Trunzo added, “but they’re on our steps all the time, they’re crawling all over the railings.”

Most recently, someone has posted a transportable basketball hoop in front of the church, creating a hazardous situation for stained-glass windows that “are over 100 years old.”

She said that someone was throwing trash, pots and pans, as well as an office chair down an exterior flight of stairs leading to the basement door.

“They’re using our stairwell as a garbage disposal,” she said, adding that the chair caused a dent in the door and their janitor cleaned up the area a couple of weeks ago.

Trunzo and other church members have talked with Glassport Police Chief Shawn DeVerse and other officers about the situation.

“I’m not sure if someone did go talk to the family there,” she said, “but they did move the basketball net from in front of the stained-glass windows.”

Church officials wonder if they can send letters to the homes that they suspect house juveniles that may be trespassing on the property. Trunzo says they just want them to stay off the property.

“It’s just been ongoing, and recently it’s gotten worse and worse and worse,” she said.

Trunzo says the church has security cameras, but sifting through weeks of surveillance would take a lot of time. Trunzo wanted to see if borough officials can do anything to help with the situation.

They are considering creating a “clergy parking” sign in front of the church.

“That way our pastor would have a dedicated place to park on Sunday mornings,” she said. “That may help deter them a little from playing there.”

According to a social media post, Oscar L. Chambers became the church’s new pastor Nov. 2.

“I would hate to see our stained glass windows (broken),” she said. “They are absolutely beautiful and they’re like 125 years old. We could never afford to have it replaced.”