Bronze plaques honoring teachers on Victory Boulevard were cut out by thieves

Eleven plaques engraved with the names of stellar local school teachers, which lined part of Victory Boulevard in Canoga Park and Warner Center, were chiseled out of the sidewalk and stolen earlier this month — likely to be sold as scrap metal.

On Wednesday, June 27, city leaders announced a $25,000 reward for “information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction” of the thief or thieves.

“It’s egregious and awful that someone would yank them out of the sidewalk and try to sell them for scrap metal,” Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield said. “They have significant financial value, but beyond that they also have community value.”

The 11 plaques were installed by Walk of Hearts, a non-profit that works to honor teachers. Over the past 20 years, Walk of Hearts has awarded and installed 77 plaques in the San Fernando Valley.

“It’s our version in the West Valley of the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Blumenfield said. “But instead of glorifying celebrities, we’re glorifying teachers.”

The plaques are made of metals including bronze, and are secured to the sidewalk with cement and bolts. Each one costs Walk of Hearts approximately $4,000 to produce and install, and the sidewalk repairs for the 11 stolen plaques will cost thousands of dollars more.

“It’s a gut punch,” Walk of Hearts founder Joe Andrews said. “Somebody had to go to an extended effort to steal them. Teachers are the unsung heroes of society and this is our way for them to get recognition. Every one of the plaques has a story behind it.”

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Metal thefts have posed a problem throughout Los Angeles. One of the most widely reported crimes was in December 2023, when valuable copper wire was stolen from lighting fixtures along L.A.’s newly restored and rebuilt Sixth Street Bridge. The thieves’ actions plummeted sections of the iconic bridge into darkness.

Blumenfield’s office is working with the Los Angeles Police Department to catch the thieves, and the $25,000 reward is part of those efforts.

“When you rip these plaques out of the ground, you’re also ripping out a part of the soul of this community,” Blumenfield said.