WILMINGTON, MA – Theft at the Wildwood Cemetery was a hottopic of discussion at a recent Wilmington Cemetery Commission meeting.
Wildwood Warriors Founder Asks For Help In Fighting Theft At Wildwood Cemetery
Darleen Pacheco-Leroux, founder of the volunteer-run Wildwood Warriors, was given an opportunity to address the Commission.
The Wildwood Warriors is an 850-member community action group dedicated to stopping theft at the Wildwood Cemetery. The group also offers support those victimized by such theft.
“I’m here today to let you know just how bad the theft problem is at the Wildwood Cemetery,” began Pacheco-Leroux. “The things I hear – pretty much on a daily basis – is gut-wrenching.”
“I’m dealing with this as a volunteer and would like some help” continued Pacheco-Leroux. “I need to bring this to your attention. It’s bad. It’s really bad.”
Wilmington Cemetery Commission Responds: Not Much We Can Do
“The Cemetery Commission and the Department of Public Works is aware of the problem,” responded DPW Director Michael Woods. “We’re sympathetic, but this is something that goes on every cemetery.”
“Any theft is a police issue,” stressed Woods. “The DPW just maintains the cemetery, such as mowing the grass… There’s only two employees that work from 6:30am to 3pm.”
Woods referred to the cemetery theft as an “on and off” issue.
“We’ll get a few complaints, then it dies off, then we’ll get a few complaints again,” said Woods. “Our standard answer is to contact the Police Department so they can keep a log.”
“Nothing can really be done right now,” added Cemetery Department Clerk Lynne Derian. “The cemetery is open all day and all night… We encourage people not to put valuable items on the gravesites…. People can be really rotten.”
“I don’t know what else we can do,” said Cemetery Commission Chair Cindy McHugh, who admitted she’s been a victim of cemetery theft herself. “There’s not much that can done. Even if the cemetery is locked every night, people will still come in during the day…. You need to talk to the police.”
“You can’t put up a tall fence around the cemetery,” added Commissioner Pasquale D’Antonio. “And you can’t have a police officer in there all day long.”
“We don’t have an easy answer to this problem. Unless you have a good idea that we haven’t thought of, we can’t fix it,” continued D’Antonio.
Are Cameras A Viable Option To Curb The Cemetery Theft?
Pacheco-Leroux answered by requesting that cameras be installed throughout the cemetery. The cameras wouldn’t need to be monitored 24/7 by the police, but could be rewound and reviewed when thefts are reported at a particular time and in a particular location.
“We’ll leave that to the police to consider,” responded DPW Director Woods, who noted at least one camera has already been installed. “Cameras have narrow views though and I’m not sure how many you’d need to cover all the acreage.”
Pacheco-Leroux also asked if the DPW workers could keep a record of the things they discard from gravesites so loved ones could know if their items were actually stolen or just discarded.
“We do a big clean up for Memorial Day,” answered Woods. “Other than that, we don’t really pick up things besides dead flowers.” Woods also noted that anything planted would be discarded.
What Should Victims Of Cemetery Theft Be Told?
“What should I tell the victims?” asked Pacheco-Leroux, after hearing from several Commissioners and Woods that very little can be done. “The cemetery theft seems much worse in Wilmington than in other towns.”
“If you were to call cemetery commissioners in other towns, I swear, Darleen, you’re going to hear the same stories,” one Commissioner responded to Pacheco-Leroux.
“To answer your question, I would encourage all victims to call the police so they can keep a log to see if there’s a pattern,” responded Derian. “I receive calls from victims. They come in spurts. Some callers just want you to know about the theft. Others are irate. I refer them all to the police.”
Dorian noted she been referring victims to Pacheco-Leroux, recommending they visit her Wildwood Warriors Facebook page. (For those not on Facebook, googling “Wildwood Warriors” will help you find their Facebook page.) Pacheco-Leroux can also be reached via email at WildwoodWarriors.Wilmington@gmail.com. She asks victims to file a police report and speak with WPD Detective Pat Nally before reaching out to her.
“Everything you say makes sense on a sympathetic level,” added DPW Director Woods. “And it’s nice that you provide support to the victims.”
“But no one at this table can really do anything about the theft issue,” said Woods. “I’m not sure there’s even a solution… Someone taking flowers from the cemetery is likely a low priority for the police department, who are responding to so many calls and dealing with the opioid epidemic… You’ll have to take the issue up with them.”
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