Vancouver police say they are looking for a white van that may be connected to the theft of a bronze statue and several plaques stolen from Queen Elizabeth Park last week.
The artwork, including a statue of a woman, four bronze plaques, and the tops of copper posts from a nearby bridge, is worth more than $5,000 and was taken from the park early in the morning last Friday.
Police say a witness is believed to have seen a full-size white panel van in the park around the time of the theft, and are searching the surrounding area for any surveillance video that may be useful in their investigation.
Park supervisor Alex Downey told CTV News he saw tire tracks after the the items were discovered missing, leading him to believe the heist was carried out with a vehicle.
The statue has been a fixture in the park since 1984 and was a gift from U.S. artist John Seward Johnson Junior, who is known for his life-size bronze statues.
Vancouver Police Const. Tim Fanning said the plaques in particular are non-descript, and could be re-sold for scrap metal before a dealer even realizes what they are.
"They're not going to be as hot to handle," he said, adding police have notified scrap dealers across the Lower Mainland not to accept the items.
The exponential increase in world metal prices has driven up the theft rate of all forms of metal across the Lower Mainland. Copper prices reached nearly $4 per pound this week.
"Over the last few years, we've had a massive proliferation of metal theft in Vancouver -- in fact in the whole Lower Mainland -- to the point of (it being) ridiculous,'' Fanning said last week.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 604-717-3680 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
With files from The Canadian Press
