Teens were caught on security-camera videos stabbing an inflatable Santa and snowman in Barrie’s north end Thursday night.
The videos were later posted to social media.
Barrie police say they have received complaints of vandalism involving large Christmas ornaments in the Queen Street area near the city's downtown.
The incidents occurred just after 10 p.m. on Dec. 7, according to police.
“We saw this last year. We’re starting to see it again,” Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon told BarrieToday on Friday.
“It’s a disturbing thing when people wake up in the morning to find their Christmas displays have been maliciously vandalized," he added. "There’s no reason for this."
Leon said investigators have seen the videos and are trying to locate the culprits.
“It’s not easy to identify the individuals who are involved. Obviously they are young people, we can see that,” he said. “It’s unnecessary and disturbing.”
Leon suggests putting seasonal inflatable ornaments on timers, so they deflate earlier in the night. This way people can enjoy them during daylight hours when this activity is less likely to happen after dark, he said.
"That’s the nice thing with an inflatable, you can enjoy it day or night," Leon added.
But the larger the inflatables are, the more expensive they are to replace, which may not be in everybody’s budget, Leon noted.
“Security cameras would help, and could potentially identify the persons responsible for this behaviour,” he added.
Anyone with information about the vandalism can call police at 705-725-7025.
“People like to brag about what they do. Let us know, or anonymously to Crime Stoppers. That’s another option,” said Leon.
If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online at www.p3tips.com.
