BELFAST — Belfast Police are asking for the public’s assistance identifying those responsible for vandalizing five granite benches on the Armistice Bridge June 30.

A citizen discovered the scene while on a walk around 8 a.m. and called Officer Mike Rolerson directly to report the crime, according to Sergeant John Gibbs.

Once Rolerson arrived and assessed the scene he alerted fellow officer Frank Gormley and Sgt. Gibbs, who arrived to assist.

Of the five benches tipped over, one was seriously damaged. That bench, which was dedicated to Peg Worth, sustained two cracks.

The $2,000 cost of each bench makes the crime a felony, according to Gibbs.

As of late Friday afternoon, a Facebook post on the department’s official page has been shared over 200 times.

Gibbs said it is unlikely a lone juvenile committed the crime due to the weight of the benches.

“They have to weigh at least 500 pounds,” Gibbs said, of the solid granite benches.

“It took three of us quite a bit of effort to pick them back up,”  he said before adding, “it [would] take quite a person to push them over [alone].”

It is unclear whether Worth’s bench can be repaired.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Belfast Police at 338-2420.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com