From the Mission Hills neighborhood to Chula Vista, more than a dozen bronze plaques have gone missing.
San Diego Police Detective Mike Brenner is investigating 14 cases of bronze plaque thefts. He says there may be as many as 20 cases countywide.
Brenner says the crime spree started this summer in the Burlingame area between North Park and South Park. Most of the cases involve historic homes.
"The thing they are probably doing is trying to recycle them. I think bronze is about two-dollars a pound, so they're not getting a lot. I think some of these signs go for five to six hundred dollars to manufacture," he said.
Property owners have been warned to stay vigilant, but Brenner says some Mission Hills residents are taking down the signs all together.
Police are working with area recyclers but so far haven't made any arrests.
None of the plaques have been recovered.
