Crime & Safety
12 Gravestones Destroyed in Dover Cemetery
Morris County Sherriff and Dover Police investigating $6k in damage after gravestones toppled and flowerbeds destroyed.
Morris Country Sherriff's office is investigating $6,000 worth of vandalism at a Dover Cementary at the intersection of Orchard and Chestnut Streets in Dover, NJ. Twelve gravestones in Dover cemetery were pushed off their base stones sometime between 6 pm Sunday and 8 pm Monday, October 11, according to Morris County CrimeStoppers. Dover Police and Morris County Sherriff's office are investigating the incident and have asked the public for help. "Anyone with information is asked to call the Morris County Sheriff's CrimeStoppers at 973-COP-Call or visit www.copcall.org. No one will ask your name. You could receive a reward of up to $1,000." - from TapInto.net
The 170-year-old cemetery on Orchard Street in Dover is one of the oldest cemeteries in our area of Morris County. Even the cemetery's beautiful flower beds were destroyed. A GoFundMe page has opened to help repair the damage at Orchard Street Cemetery. A Facebook post from Orchard Street Cemetery stated, "Our cemetery is completely maintained by a volunteer group, who do great things on a shoestring. We're in rough shape, people."
This was the second act of vandalism within weeks. A few weeks earlier, a gatehouse was broken into and windows were shattered at the cemetery in Dover. "We didn't intend to have this added expense to our bills, because we could not possibly afford this, If it was just left to us right now, they would be down," said Dover Cemetery Association President Keith Titus.
The police investigation is still active. If you have information critical to the investigation you are urged to contact the Morris County Sheriff's CrimeStoppers tip line at 973-COP-CALL.
