SMITHFIELD — The word of the day around town seems to be desecration.

In the past six months, vandals have toppled gravestones in two historic cemeteries and spray-painted the war memorial at Deerfield Park.

“This is the worst vandalism I can recall since I’ve lived in Smithfield,” Bob Buonaccorsi, of the Friends of Smithfield Cemeteries, said yesterday, referring to the most recent destruction, at the Greenville Cemetery on Smith Avenue.

A $1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the apprehension of those involved in marring the war memorial. The money was donated by Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr., D-Smithfield, North Smithfield, and Reps. Thomas Winfield, D-Smithfield, Glocester, and Peter J. Petrarca, D-Smithfield, Johnston, Lincoln.

Tassoni said yesterday that the reward has not produced any leads.

However, the police have announced the arrests of three men for damage done to the historical cemetery on Harris Road.

Zachary Mountford, 20, of 18 Pleasant View Ave., Matthew Houle, 19, of 218 Harris Rd., and Nicholas Dauphinais, 18, of 1805 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence, have been charged with desecration of places of public assemblage, and conspiracy. Both charges are felonies.

Lt. Michael C. Rheaume, of the Smithfield police, said yesterday that Detective Christopher J. Taylor received information that one of the suspects had been involved in the March 18 incident, in which several stones had been overturned. When questioned, the suspects gave damaging statements, Rheaume reported.

He said that anyone who has information about such crimes should call police headquarters at (401) 231-2500, or the police tip line, (401) 233-1019.

The suspects were released pending appearances in District Court on April 24.

Tassoni said he has introduced a bill that would require more severe penalties for such acts. He said the bill has not yet come to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

Donald T. Burns, a member of the Friends of Smithfield Cemeteries, a volunteer organization that conducts cleanups and repairs at the town’s many small, scattered historic cemeteries, said, “You have occasional stones knocked over — a couple of times in Georgiaville, a little bit, maybe once a year or so — but nothing like this damage at Greenville where 50 stones were toppled. It’s discouraging to us, because we want to get out cleaning cemeteries. Now we have got to get out and repair them.”

Buonaccorsi said that not all fallen gravestones are victims of vandals.

“Mother Nature also knocks stones over with tree roots,” he said. In a previous incident at the Greenville Cemetery, volunteers pitched in to put 20 headstones back in place several months ago. “We got those fixed and we thought we were all set, but unfortunately we weren’t,” he said.

Buonaccorsi said the cemetery group had planned to work on the fallen stones a week or two ago but were stymied by bad weather. They were able to fix three at the Harris Road cemetery, however, he said.

He said the volunteers are scheduled to work at the Greenville Cemetery on April 26, and he called for additional volunteers to pitch in.

The work will begin at 9 a.m., he said.

First-time volunteers, he said, “will probably need shovels and pry bars if they have pry bars. Or 4-by-4s — whatever method. We do have a tripod. It’s a heavy duty thing. The more pry bars and muscle power — and young guys — the better.”

Buonaccorsi said volunteers “should just show up” across from the Greenville Inn. He said if anyone needs further information, they should call him at (401) 946-3146.

He said also that he is planning to visit Smithfield High School on Monday to appeal for volunteers.

“We would like to touch base with kids in the middle school too,” he said. “Awareness is the issue. If the kids understand and have a better appreciation of what’s out there they would be less inclined to go out there and damage it. They should know the history of the town and understand the historical concepts.”

tmorgan@projo.com