Police are investigating the theft of 10 shrubs planted by a well-respected all-volunteer nonprofit organization at a traffic island in New Canaan.
The shrubs reported stolen Sunday from the traffic island at Weed Street and West Road have a total value of $678.30, according to police.
Planted by the donor-supported New Canaan Beautification League, the 10 shrubs represent half of the 20 planted at the traffic island, police said.
Sign on the tree at the traffic island. Credit: Michael Dinan
Founded in 1939, the NCBL maintains and tends to more than 30 road triangles and municipal areas in town (see map below). Those areas include the mail drop-off boxes area on Pine Street, Town Hall planters and hanging baskets downtown. The NCBL also owns and maintains the Lee Garden on Chichester Road (there’s parking at the garden and on nearby streets—for example, in front of 17 Toquam Road).
A sign affixed to a tree on the traffic island at Weed and West notes that “Someone is stealing the plants” and urges residents to report the license plate numbers of those responsible to police.
Asked for a comment on the recent theft, NCBL spokesperson Ginny Dobbs said in an email, “While this act of vandalism is disappointing, it is far more common that people stop our New Canaan Beautification League volunteers to thank them for their efforts. Keeping our town beautiful is a team effort.”