Tacoma SDS

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – It's a Bainbridge High School tradition for seniors to spray paint local streets, but this year many are saying they went too far.

Officers went to work Wednesday to find severe damage to a total of eight police vehicles, plus the police chief's patrol car was hit at his house, said Deputy Chief Mark Duncan. The cars had their tires slashed and were tagged with graffiti, including the police chief’s car. Some appeared to have buckets of paint splattered on them. The vandalism is believed to have occurred between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Judging by the "08" signature, it appears to be the work of Bainbridge High School seniors. It has become tradition for Bainbridge High seniors to use paint to tag island streets with names and messages

"It's called paint night. You know, you paint a road or two. I’ve never seen this before, let alone slashed tires,” said Caleb Davis, a Bainbridge High School senior.

"It's shocking. I wouldn’t expect anyone to do this. This is definitely not a representation of who we are as seniors or what Bainbridge Island is about,” said Ian Powell, the senior class president.

Powell said neither he nor the other kids who also saw the vandalism in person knows who is responsible.

School superintendent Ken Crawford hopes the kids responsible will be caught, and prosecuted.

The damage is estimated to be approximately $12,000. Several vehicles remain out of service.