Local News
“This incident occurred as the department was already investigating several other thefts of bronze plaques from other locations around the city,” police said.
The memorial with the stolen plaque. Photo Courtesy Newburyport Police
March 29, 2026 | 6:33 PM
1 minute to read
Police on the North Shore are investigating a series of thefts after a historical plaque was taken from an “African American” memorial, police said.
The historical plaque was reported stolen from the Old Hill graveyard on Greenleaf Street in Newburyport on March 24, Newburyport police said in a press release.
The bronze 12- by -24-inch plate indicates a “historic African American section” of the cemetery, the department said.
The plaque recognizes “the Black men, women, and children buried in the 18th and 19th centuries” in the cemetery without recognition, as seen in a photo police shared of the plaque before it was stolen.
Police were not able to obtain surveillance footage and or find any witnesses to the theft, the department said.
“This incident occurred as the department was already investigating several other thefts of bronze plaques from other locations around the city,” police said.
Other “similar” markers have been stolen recently, including one that went missing from the Oak Hill Cemetery at some point before March 15, one from Cashman Park sometime before Jan. 19, and another from Atkinson Common sometime between Jan. 14 and 15, police wrote.
Newburyport police are working with police in a “neighboring community” that has also seen the theft of a plaque, the Newburyport department said.
“Newburyport takes great pride in its rich history, and these thefts are deeply concerning to our community,” said Marshal Matt Simons, the head of Newburyport police. “We’re asking residents to help us keep a closer eye on our community’s historical markers and to contact us if they have any information.”
Newburyport police are asking those with information involving the thefts to notify the department at 978-462-4411.
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