stolen bronze – Thieves targeted bronze stars and plaques at Solano County memorial sites days before a May 13 service, prompting outrage from the sheriff and families.
FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Bronze stars honoring fallen law enforcement officers were stolen from multiple memorial sites in Solano County, leaving empty spaces just days before a planned remembrance ceremony.
The Solano County Sheriff’s Office said the thefts struck at locations including the Peace Officer Memorial in Fairfield and other sites tied to fallen officers and veterans. with damage reported across Fairfield and Vallejo.. Sheriff Brad DeWall called the acts deeply offensive. describing them as an attack on symbols meant to preserve the memory of people who died serving the community.
According to DeWall, 21 bronze stars representing fallen deputies and officers were taken from the Peace Officer Memorial in Fairfield.. Investigators believe the stars were removed from the memorial wall after all of them were found missing. prompting the department to treat the case as theft rather than vandalism.. DeWall said he had never seen anything like it in his decades working in local law enforcement.
Beyond the stars, additional plaques were reported stolen from memorial sites in Fairfield, including the Veterans Memorial and plaques outside the courthouse. In Vallejo, plaques linked to the Veterans Memorial were also reported missing, with reports coming in Monday.
For families and community groups, the timing has added to the sting.. Ron Turner. a retired police officer who leads the 100 Club of Solano and Yolo Counties. said his organization received a call after the thefts were discovered and that planners quickly moved to address the gap before the May 13 ceremony.. Turner said those most affected—officers’ spouses and families—have been vocal about refusing to let the theft stand unchallenged.
A memorial like this is supposed to offer continuity: names. dates. and a visible reminder that public service comes with risk.. When the symbols are taken, the absence can feel personal rather than abstract.. Turner said families had already started leaving American flags on the empty places. a small but unmistakable message that the community intends to keep the attention on the people who were honored there in the first place.
Investigators are now working through surveillance footage and pursuing leads that could narrow down who carried out the thefts.. DeWall said the case includes “possible persons of interest,” and he emphasized that his office is actively seeking accountability.. His message to those responsible was blunt: the sheriff’s office intends to pursue the case until justice is reached.
Turner noted that while stolen bronze items may seem like targets to criminals, the value is not only financial.. The 100 Club has been responsible for supporting spouses and families of fallen officers. and the memorial is tied to those relationships—meaning the theft reaches well beyond property damage.. Turner also said replacement efforts are underway for the May 13 service. with local businesses stepping in to provide temporary aluminum or steel stars.
The case also reflects a broader problem communities face when remembrance efforts are treated like convenient targets.. Memorials and monuments often rely on durable materials and public access. but those same features can make them visible and therefore vulnerable.. When thieves remove recognition markers—whether for personal gain or attention—the result can be a double loss: the financial hit and the emotional disruption of taking away a space meant for reflection.
Looking ahead. the replacement plan may keep the ceremony on schedule. but investigators still face the bigger challenge of restoring trust in public safety symbols.. If surveillance leads hold and arrests follow. the county’s response could become a benchmark for how local agencies handle crimes that strike at civic memory.. For now. families and community organizers are preparing to mark May 13 with temporary memorial pieces—while insisting the stolen bronze must be recovered and the responsible parties brought before the law.