Metal thieves target memorial honoring fallen heroes in St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Broken lights can be found all over Shadow Falls Park in St. Paul as the result of thieves stealing copper wire.

"If you go down these trails you're not going to find one that's functional right now, unfortunately," St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said across the park system, there are currently 1,800 lights out. Sometimes, crews will replace one light only to return the next day and see it out again.

Over the past few years, the city of St. Paul has seen an increase in copper wire thefts . In 2023, the city spent more than $1.2 million to replace and repair street lights and signals.

Criminals aren't just targeting lights. In early April, thieves stole two plaques from a World War I memorial monument at Shadow Falls Park. It will cost thousands of dollars to replace them, Rodriguez said.

"Very unfortunate and it just kind of takes away from the ambiance of this place and what this means to the residents of Saint Paul," he said.

Then, last week, he said a worker noticed an attempted theft at Harriet Island Regional Park. It appeared someone had tried to cut and remove a piece of a heavy, bronze art installation, known as "Flood Waves." In a preventative measure, the city decided to remove the loosened piece and store it somewhere safe to prevent a total loss.

"I don't know how they got it out of the wall, frankly," artist Ann Klefstad said.

She designed the piece back in the early 2000s and said it was made with security in mind. She believes the construction of it, likely saved it from thieves this time, but she would like to see cameras installed in the area to prevent further attempts.

"We do plan to reinstall it using the same techniques but make it even more bulletproof. This is something the community wants and they should be able to have it in safety," she said.

The city of St. Paul has tried many different deterrents to prevent metal thieves , including dedicating more resources to curb the problem. More information on the issue can be found on the city's website .