The Alpharetta American Legion Post 201 is limiting use of its grounds to members only and asking police to increase evening patrols, its spokesman said.
Spokesman Marty Farrell said Pokemon Go started bringing hundreds of people to the 14-acre campus, which has a baseball field and grounds usually open to the public.
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Post Commander Dennis Turner said the organization has welcomed visitors since opening in 1967 on Wills Road.
“While we continue to invite the public to visit our Veterans Memorial Park, baseball field and park-like property, we must insist that those who are not members or their guests not trespass during hours of darkness,” Turner said.
Turner said the Alpharetta Police Department has been asked to increase patrols during those times when the property is closed to the general public and that Post 201 will seek prosecution of those in violation of the law.
“One instance of vandalism, increased littering and concerns about safety have forced us to close our property to non-members for the time being,” Farrell said. “Until the fad subsides — if it does.”
He said he saw 20 players on the property in the course of one hour about 1 p.m. Thursday.
VIDEO: Pokemon Go players swarm Alpharetta American Legion Post
Though Farrell said the post cannot definitively link damage to a Korean War era tank to Pokemon Go players, he said the damage was as recent as the arrival of legions of players.
“There’s a toweling where the canon connects to the turret of the tank itself and it looks as though someone has taken a knife or a razor blade and sliced it up,” Farrell said.
The bigger issue than people traipsing through the grounds with their eyes on their phones is safety, Farrell said.
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“Our members have seen individuals operating motor vehicles on our property while playing Pokemon Go and moving at an imprudent speed putting everyone in danger of injury,” Farrell said.
He said the decision came reluctantly because Post 201 has been involved with the community, “and we like to think of ourselves as a good community neighbor,” Farrell said.
The younger of the post’s 800 members served during wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but most members are retired and Farrell said he wouldn’t want someone driving carelessly to hit a veteran.
“Most of our members are Vietnam War era members and I would not expect to see them playing Pokemon Go,” Farrell said. “Most of them probably have flip phones.”
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