Gungahlin Cemetery has never had an issue with vandalism ... until now

Long-term staff say this week is the first time Gungahlin Cemetery has been plagued by vandals, but add there’s not much they can do to prevent them.

A large rose-quartz stone marker, weighing between 30 and 40 kg, was stolen from the grave site of a young cancer victim on Monday, leaving a local family devastated.

“Cancer is one of those things that just takes and it’s malicious, and during the grieving process that goes along with that, a human will try to grab onto anything to make it easier, and part of that process for this family was that stone,” a member of the family told Region.

“Now that that’s been taken, it feels like that entire portion of the grieving process has just been negated and desecrated.”

The family reported the matter to cemetery staff and police that same day and were told of at least two other recent cases.

A woman had her phone stolen from her belongings while visiting a family member’s grave, and two gold-plated hands have been stolen from another grave site.

Also, on Monday afternoon, a man returned to his car to find a man allegedly attempting to break into it. The man fled the scene with two other men in a white 4WD-style vehicle with ACT number plates.

“Police are seeking to identify the three men who were at the Gungahlin Cemetery on Monday and are also seeking to confirm any other incidents that have occurred at the cemetery recently,” an ACT Policing spokesperson said.

Opened in 1972 by the ACT Government, the Gungahlin Cemetery is the city’s largest cemetery at 37 hectares.

Staff say “vandalism is rare” and “long-term staff do not recall the last time there was any vandalism at Gungahlin Cemetery”.

But with a “considerable volume of traffic … every day of the year”, it pays to be careful.

“While the vast majority of visitors are respectful and conduct themselves with dignity and care, unfortunately, isolated incidents such as these do occur and are a concern for cemetery operators across Australia,” a government spokesperson said.

The grounds team report suspected cases to management, which then advises the allotment’s holder “immediately”.

“Subsequent investigation by the police may ensue,” the spokesperson said.

“Predominately though, we rely on reports of vandalism or theft from visitors as acts such as these may be discrete and only noticeable by those with an intimate knowledge of the memorial.”

CCTV cameras are mounted to the administration and crematorium buildings, but the government says the sheer size of the site rules out taking them further.

“Due to the land area of our cemeteries, it would be an impossible task to ensure all allotments were covered by CCTV coverage.

“In addition to this, the cemetery grounds are for personal, private reflection and it would be inappropriate for visitors in these circumstances to be recorded.”

As it stands, the cemetery grounds are locked between 6 pm and 8 am overnight, following security patrols.

Sariah Hunt’s family argues that the government should allocate more funding for a “dedicated physical security footprint as well as a 24/7 monitoring solution” in the city’s cemeteries.

“The teams don’t have the manpower or the appropriate facilities available to them to do what is asked of them – and it’s not their fault. They’re doing the best they can,” a statement reads.

The family has yet to decide if they want to replace the stone yet.

“It’s very easy for an outsider to inject solutions to a problem – and they’re very appreciated – but until the family is ready to make a decision that feels right, we just won’t know how to move forward.”