Topeka cemetery thefts could be mistaken for this

TOPEKA (KSNT) - If you are missing an item from a grave at a local cemetery, you may want to check with the groundskeepers before reporting it as a theft.

Topeka residents were first warned by the Topeka Police Department on March 25 to be on the lookout for suspicious activity in local cemeteries and people who might be stealing items left by loved ones. TPD told KSNT news that nearly all cemeteries in the city limits have suffered some form of incident whether that be theft or vandalism.

"We recommend that people leave nothing of value," Lieutenant Manuel Munoz said. "Sometimes even flowers are stolen from the graves. If we locate anyone committing a crime, they will be charged accordingly."

TPD went on to say that people caught stealing from cemeteries could face charges of theft or even criminal trespassing depending on the situation as some cemeteries have hours of operation and close their gates at the end of the day.

Vandalism of cemeteries has occurred in the past in Topeka and other nearby areas. One of Topeka's oldest cemeteries suffered damage when tombstones were toppled off of their foundations in 2018 while a cemetery in Junction City had similar incidents happen to it as well in 2017. However, damage of this scale has not been reported recently.

These recent reports of stealing from cemeteries may not involve actual theft at all, but instead just be part of regular cemetery maintenance. KSNT news spoke with Lisa Sandmeyer, the Superintendent of the Topeka Cemetery, who indicated that missing items from graves may just be the result of regular maintenance crews trying to keep the cemetery grounds clean.

Sandmeyer said that all sorts of items are left behind at graves which are usually not expensive and not necessarily precious but can cause a mess if left untended. In a Facebook post from the Topeka Cemetery, a storeroom is shown containing dozens of items like Christmas decorations, crosses, pottery, wreathes and more that have been collected by staff.

"Folks come out and leave stuff at gravesites so sure we're gonna pick it up," Sandmeyer said. "We're talking birthday balloons, wreathes and stuffed animals. When the winds starts going they may end up on the other side of the cemetery."

Sandmeyer went on to say that many of the items that the cemetery groundskeepers pick up are kept in their office located at the northwest corner of the cemetery. Those who have lost items at the Topeka Cemetery are encouraged to use the entrance near SE 10th St. and SE Lafayette St to reach the office and find any missing items or reach out to staff via Facebook or call during business hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 785-233-4132.

"Any item not in a permanent vase may be removed by cemetery personnel. Most items removed by staff from gravesites, except flowers, are taken to the office for storage and can be picked up there by the owner. If they are damaged, they will be discarded," - Topeka Cemetery rules.

Sandmeyer said that any items left in a permanent vase is not removed along with things that are left on the base of monuments. Large wreathes and similar items will be removed by cemetery staff who will soon start mowing the grounds beginning in the third week of April. The large number of items left in the cemetery not only impede the efforts of groundskeepers but could also pose a health hazard in the form of shattered glass.

"The biggest problem I have is with glass," Sandmeyer said. "We have too many people bringing in glass vases but some bring in a beer bottle for their buddy. That glass can injure the driver of the mower if it's run over or injure someone walking by in flip flops. No glass of any kind is allowed in."

In regards to actual thefts taking place on cemetery property, Sandmeyer said that some people may pick up something they need, possibly for a family member's grave, while others enter cemeteries just to look for things that they can take with them. However, she said that in many instances it is the groundskeepers or even volunteers doing the removals.

"People do wander through cemeteries and take stuff but the majority of things being removed are by us," Sandmeyer said. "We have volunteers come in and remove things. I call them probationers."

These probationers volunteer at the cemetery to pick up trash and other items for community service hours which help to reduce fines that they may have received. Other volunteer efforts to help maintain the Topeka Cemetery come around every year in May as part of Keep America Beautiful. Sandmeyer said that around 90 people signed up for the effort last year to come to the Topeka Cemetery and help keep the grounds clean and she expects a similar turnout this year.

For more information on the Topeka Cemetery's policies, go here.