A resident in London's historic Blackfriars neighbourhood says she's disappointed with the level of vandalism occurring in the area. 

During a morning stroll on Monday, Angela Kozma noticed the flexible LED lighting mounted along the arch of the Blackfriars Bridge had been cut down and tied onto its railing. Other pieces had been tossed into the Thames River. 

"Of course, that made me very sad because the lights were new, and at night when I'm walking, it's very beautiful," said Kozma, who's lived in the area for the past nine years.

The lighting had recently been installed by the city almost three weeks prior. Kozma said she wasn't surprised that little time had passed between the installation and the vandalism, given what she called an increase of graffiti and garbage along the bridge. 

"I almost expected it, but I was still sad because it was something that was very beautiful and for everybody," she said. "I often think that somebody must be really hurting to want to damage something so lovely." 

In a social media thread, Ward 13 councilor John Fyfe-Millar commented that the incident was "extremely disheartening." 

"One step forward, two steps back," he wrote. "Whether it's the destruction of the piano at the market, lighting, or garbage. At some point, we need to hold people to account for these actions. We should be able to enjoy wonderful things in our community."

The cost of installing the lighting component was $106,000, said Doug MacRae, director of transportation and mobility, in an email. 

"The cost to address the recent vandalism was minimal because the damage was limited, and repairs were addressed quickly," said MacRae. "The project team is reviewing the situation and is planning design modifications to better protect the lighting." 

Vandalism is a criminal offence, and property damage is investigated by the London Police Service, he said. 

Kozma said she's pleased with the city's quick response in repairing the light and noticed city workers frequently tackling the graffiti too. 

She said it's important that Londoners take pride in where they live.

"I think about the broken window theory," she said. "You know, whenever a window is broken, you know more windows will break. But if the window is repaired, then it's less likely [to happen again]. So if we take care of the area, then maybe it'll happen less."

The iconic Blackfriars Bridge is 147 years old. In 2018, it was removed from its footings as part of an $8-million refurbishment project. It's one of North America's last wrought-iron, bowstring-arch truss bridges. Adding the lighting was a part of the restoration plans.

Angela McInnes is a reporter for CBC London. She keeps a close eye out for stories touching on environment, poverty and mental health. You can reach her at angela.mcinnes@cbc.ca.

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