Information plaques stolen from park on Summit Avenue

ST. PAUL

Police are asking for help finding the signs, which contain valuable metals

Two large plaques were stolen from Summit Lookout Park in St. Paul over the weekend, police said. This photo shows what one of the plaques looked like before the theft. COURTESY OF ST. PAUL POLICE DEPARTMENT

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By Mara H. Gottfried

mgottfried@pioneerpress.com

Two informational plaques were stolen from a St. Paul park over the weekend and police are asking the public for tips.

The plaques, which contain valuable metals, are 18 inches by 24 inches and were taken from Summit Lookout Park at Summit Avenue and Ramsey Street.

“Not only is there a cost associated with replacing these plaques, it takes away from the public space,” police wrote on social media Tuesday, comparing the case to what happened in the spring on Harriet Island. At that time, a person or people tried to make off with a large, multi-piece metal sculpture. The attempts led the city to take down at least half of the sizable pieces of public art.

Police are asking anyone with information about the plaque thefts to call Sgt. Carlson at 651-266-5572.

St. Paul Parks and Recreation is still waiting for cost estimates, but they’re anticipated to be about $3,000 each based on similar plaques they’ve replaced, according to Parks and Rec spokesperson Clare Cloyd.

The same plaques were stolen in 2013 and the ones recently stolen had replaced those, according to St. Paul Parks and Recreation.

Metal thieves have targeted St. Paul streetlights and other infrastructure in recent years.

St. Paul spent more than $1.2 million last year to repair and replace streetlights and traffic signals damaged by copper wire theft, according to the city.

This year, the city has spent just over $1 million as of the beginning of September. The city council approved an additional $500,000 for St. Paul Public Works for this year, which has included hiring a dedicated seasonal, full-time electrician crew to repair damaged streetlights.

The problem has skyrocketed in recent years: Restoring lighting from wire theft cost the city $98,588 in 2019, $104,595 in 2020, $294,494 in 2021 and $453,172 in 2022, including labor, materials and equipment.

St. Paul has “got really creative with strategies and techniques, some that are showing successes,” said Lisa Hiebert, Public Works spokesperson. She didn’t provide details for security reasons because, in the past, thieves have found a way around measures the city has taken.

But a downside has been thieves moving their attention to areas that weren’t previously targeted for wire theft, in more residential areas, Hiebert said.