Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656
The theft of thousands of vases at cemeteries across the country has brought thievery to an entirely new level.
Sky high metal prices combined with the weak US economy in recent years have led brazen thieves to strip copper wire out of vacant homes, swipe stainless-steel beer kegs from bars, make off with manhole covers and fire hydrants, and the latest trend- stealing bronze vases from cemeteries.
This past August, a man stole 51 bronze vases attached to grave markers in about 15 minutes, and then drove to a scrap-metal yard where police say he had already sold hundreds of vases with a replacement value of up to $600 each, (WSJ.com). He told the scrap yard that his grandfather had an old cemetery and the vases were just leftover.
In Reno, Nevada, 115 vases were stolen in August. The operations manager of the cemetery where the theft took place said it would have cost them between $5,000 and $6,000 to replace, so she was forced to buy plastic replacements. And yet another occurrence happened in Elmhurst, Illinois where 410 vases were recovered when a man was arrested (WSJ.com).
“It’s definitely a new low,” says Lan Price, an assistant manager of Ridge Crest Memorial Park in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina, where thieves recently stole dozens of vases.
Vases are about “10 inches high and three inches in diameter,” and are made of bronze, “an alloy rich in copper,” (WSJ.com). They usually screw into a plate on the grave marker and are secured with a small chain. “Although the price of copper has dropped about 20% this year, most major metals prices are still near historic highs,” (WSJ.com).
Companies that sell cemetery supplies like bronze vases are beginning to offer alternatives to supplies, especially the bronze vases because of the thefts. Additionally, some cemeteries are beefing up patrols, keeping gates locked at night and/or installing motion sensors hooked up to video cameras to ward off thieves and foul play.
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