Roughly two dozen bronze memorial bench plaques have vanished from parks across Alameda, according to city officials, stripping benches of the small nameplates families donated to honor loved ones. The empty mounting spots now dot popular seating areas, rattling donors and forcing city staff to confront how to stop the plaques from disappearing again.
City of Alameda confirms thefts
According to KRON4, the City of Alameda reported that about two dozen bronze plaques were recently removed from park benches and that there have been no arrests in the Alameda cases so far. City officials told KRON4 they are notifying affected donors and working through an inventory to confirm exactly which plaques are missing. It is still unclear how many suspects might be involved.
Not an isolated problem in the Bay Area
Similar heists have been popping up around the Bay. Coverage by CBS News Bay Area details a January 2025 incident in which more than 40 bronze plaques were ripped from Oakland’s 7th Street "Walk of Fame," triggering a pricey replacement effort. The San Francisco Chronicle also reported that bronze stars and plaques were pried off Solano County memorials, and an aggregated report by AOL cited local broadcasters saying a Vallejo man was arrested in that investigation. Officials say the incidents point to thieves targeting smaller metal memorials that can be resold as scrap.
City recommends alternatives for donors
City officials told KRON4 they are encouraging donors to consider swapping bronze plates for materials that are less appealing to scrap buyers and to look at tamper-resistant mounting hardware. They say the aim is to protect the meaning and dignity of the memorials while making them much tougher to remove. The city is considering short-term replacement options alongside longer-term policy changes and new mounting techniques.
Anyone with information about the Alameda thefts or who spots memorial plaques being offered for sale is asked to contact the Alameda Police Department or the city’s Recreation and Park Department. Details on the memorial bench program and donation requirements are available on the City of Alameda. City staff say they will continue to update donors as investigations move forward and replacement plans take shape.
