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More surveillance needed at downtown Davenport cemetery

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Just off River Drive in downtown Davenport, City Cemetery has been a final resting place for nearly 200 years. This week several tombstones we...

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Just off River Drive in downtown Davenport, City Cemetery has been a final resting place for nearly 200 years. This week several tombstones were knocked over. It's not a new issue; City Cemetery has dozens of damaged tombstones from recent months.

"As an advocate of neighborhood safety cameras, I'm going to work with our city administrator to try and find the funding to get some safety cameras down here, which hopefully will deter some of the vandalism that's been going on here," said Ray Ambrose, Davenport Alderman, 4th ward.

Just like many stores have cameras, Ambrose believes so too should the cemetery. Currently, Davenport has contracts out for bid on neighborhood surveillance cameras. Ambrose says those same companies could work with the Davenport Parks and Recreation Department, Davenport Police and the City of Davenport to figure out the best way to set up cameras at City Cemetery. He hopes they could be installed by the end of summer. A plan for funding is unclear, but Ambrose says he believes it can be figured out.

"There's a incredible history that's part of our Davenport cemetery and we got to do everything we can to protect that," said Ambrose.

For the tombstones that are already damaged, Ambrose hopes it isn't too late. He says it would take an expert and hundreds of dollars per stone to fix them.

"Hopefully they can be repaired and unfortunately some of them might not be able to," said Ambrose.

Ambrose can't understand why anyone would chose to vandalize the iconic spot in Davenport.

"It's disgusting and if a parent knew their child was down doing this, they should be ashamed of themselves," said Ambrose.

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