ALAMEDA, CA — Community members are growing concerned after more than two dozen memorial plaques were stolen in one night from Jean Sweeney Open Space Park in Alameda, according to a report from ABC7.
It's unclear who stole the plaques, which are meant to memorialize community members' loved ones, or why. A theory from Dorothy Freeman, who serves on the park board, appears to be that whoever stole the plaques did so for their material, according to the report.
"Evidently, they use the bronze, and they can probably melt it down and sell it," Freeman told ABC7.
Bronze contains copper, which is a highly sought-after scrap metal because its value has increased in recent years. Currently, scrap copper is selling at about an average of about $4.40 per pound.
Park leaders are now looking at how to prevent other plaques from being stolen.
Read more from ABC7.
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Alameda, CA Patch
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