Metal Thieves Prey On Cemeteries

INDIANAPOLIS -- Metal thieves continue to turn to cemeteries to cash in on urns, depriving the dead of their dignity and angering family members, despite a new ordinance aimed at curbing the crime.

For the second time in six months, a brass urn was stolen from the grave of Jennifer Wilson's father at Floral Park Cemetery, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.

"I show up to decorate and it's a surprise that it's gone again," Wilson said. "It's very upsetting. I mean, he can't even rest in peace. It's like grieving all over again because we have no way to decorate now. We just have a hole in the ground."

In November 2007, metal thieves stole more than 100 urns from the cemetery. Many of them were recovered weeks later from a salvage dealer in Hendricks County.

Indianapolis Metro police were successful in getting a scrap metal ordinance drafted that regulated dealers and banned the scrapping of funeral urns, among other items. The ordinance went into effect about two months ago.

"I think a lot of this is going to be curtailed now that we've got the ordinance specifying these are illegal for the recyclers to buy," said IMPD Sgt. Dan Kelly.

Metal thefts remain a serious problem in Indianapolis. Environmental enforcement and railroad police on Tuesday arrested James Johnson, who they said stole copper wiring from railroad switches.

"I just got what I seen -- what was not hooked up to nothing," Johnson said. "I wasn't going to take the chance of hurting somebody else or electrocuting myself."

Floral Park said many of the missing urns might be related to last November's thefts and have just been discovered this spring.

Cemetery officials declined comment, but a spokesperson told 6News that brass urns, worth as much as $350, were being replaced with another variety that has no scrap value.