A plaque commemorating the Black ownership of a patch of California beach seized in 1924 by segregationist government officials has been stolen, authorities in Manhattan Beach said this week.
The theft of the copper plaque at Bruce’s Beach Park, dedicated last year after its namesake family heirs sold Bruce’s Beach back to the government for $20 million, was reported Monday, the city’s police department said in a statement.
“The Manhattan Beach Police Department immediately opened an investigation to identify, locate, and apprehend those responsible for this unfortunate incident,” it said.
So far there are no leads in the case, said city spokesperson Alexandra Latragna.
“There hasn’t been any evidence uncovered that this was related to a hate crime,” she said in response to a question about whether thieves were mindful of the plaque’s racial significance.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who championed returning Bruce’s Beach to its namesake family, noted in a statement Tuesday that the plaque was stolen from Bruce’s Beach Park, which is adjacent to the historic Bruce family parcels but occupies land never owned by them.
Hahn said she laments that the theft may open up “old wounds,” but she expressed hope it was no more than part of a wave of copper thefts in Los Angeles County and beyond.
“I hope that the plaque’s theft is unrelated to the painful history of Bruce’s Beach and my decision to return the property to the Bruce family, and more related to the string of recent bronze thefts we have seen,” she said in her statement.
The Bruce’s Beach Park plaque is made of bronze, which is roughly 88% copper and 12% tin. The park is operated by the city of Manhattan Beach.
Last week, Los Angeles city officials discussed a proposal to create a task force on copper theft. In December, 7 miles of copper wiring used in lighting was stolen from L.A.’s Sixth Street Viaduct.
The plaque was installed in February of 2023 and dedicated the next month. “The stolen…
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