Flowers stolen from White Plains gardens

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (WABC) -- Thieves are on the loose in White Plains most exclusive neighborhoods, but they're not stealing cars or jewelry, rather flowers.

Knockout roses, wild daisies, petunias, marigolds, and hydrangeas are being plucked out of gardens across this blooming city and no one knows who's doing it.

"Every year we do have some theft, but nothing like this year," said Deborah Donahoe, President of the White Plains Beautification Foundation.

Deborah Donahoe is president of the White Plains Beautification Foundation which funds 60 community gardens.

"I don't know if it's a sign of the times. I surely hope not," Donahoe said.

Donahoe says the flowers are being dug out from the roots, which means they're being replanted.

Her group is now working with police.

They've put up signs warning floral snatchers that their every move is being recorded by secret cameras strategically based around the flower beds.

Thieves have stolen from at least six gardens across the city and these thefts are hurting the foundation's bottom line. At a time when donations are down, there's not much money in the budget to replace these flowers.

"For the first time in quite a few years, we are working at a deficit, and this is just going to add to our deficit," Donahoe said.

If left unchecked, Donahoe worries thieves could uproot a longstanding tradition of gardening in this vibrant city splashed with color this summer.

But with police and neighborhood watch groups on the lookout, she believes the flower thieves will be caught if they strike again.

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