Bronze artwork stolen along the Embarcadero

Art meant for public enjoyment was stolen for private profit. When San Francisco revamped the Embarcadero, the project included bronze plaques and figures. Some of those have gone missing.

"Public property goes missing, I guess that is stealing," said Dan Hodapp, landscape architect with the Port of San Francisco, which owns the waterfront stretch of property. "There are very resourceful people in the city from all walks of life. We ask that they respect public property for the enjoyment of others."

The missing items include bronze discs embedded in the sidewalk that depict San Francisco Bay animals and birds, and rectangular strips with words that tell the story of the waterfront. When one is missing, it's a like a page torn out of a book. You don't get the full story.

"Some of the components have a recycling value to some individuals." Hodapp explained. The bronze fabricator for the project, Gil Hernandez from South Bay Bronze, told KTVU a stolen bronze plaque that weighs about eight pounds can get about $1.50/lb at a scrap metal recycler. Hernandez said he's replaced dozens of stolen bronze items along the Embarcadero.

"How do they even pry them up from the ground," asked Steve Busichio as he ate lunch on a sunny Wednesday afternoon along the Embarcadero. "I didn't know you could possibly do that!"

The Port is working with the San Francisco Arts Commission to take inventory of what public art is there and what is missing, and figure out better ways to keep public art from getting into private hands. "We go back to the fabricator, have these re-poured. When we do, we look at stronger ways to put them in," Hodapp said. "We try to learn from the experiences we have on the waterfront to make this as good as we possibly can."

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Bronze artwork stolen along the Embarcadero