PALM DESERT, Calif. — Someone is swiping the cactuses in this upscale desert city.
Over the past six months, there has been an epidemic of thefts. City officials say they have lost nearly $20,000 worth of cactuses.
The main target is the golden barrel, which, depending on the size, can fetch anywhere from $100 to $800 each.
The problem is so bad that surveillance cameras have gone up near large concentrations of the cactuses, and authorities plan to implant microchips into the barrels soon.
“Each microchip has a scannable bar code that tells who owns it,” police Lt. Frank Taylor said. “The odds are that we won’t microchip every plant, but it will have a deterrent effect.”
A few years ago, this city of golf resorts and retirees began shedding its lush grass and artificial turf for a landscape more in keeping with its austere, sun-blasted environment.
Out went the phony greenery and over-watered lawns. In came sand, succulents, cactuses and other hot-weather plants. Median strips and public spaces soon were studded with spiny, twisted flora.
“The city decided to stop apologizing for the desert and said, ‘We live in the desert; it is what it is,’ ” said city landscape manager Spencer Knight.
But with the transformation nearly complete, the thefts began. The city’s visitor center lost 50 cactuses in one night, and criminals have hit private property as well.
“They have a very shallow root system and can be popped out pretty easily,” Taylor said. “People have been digging them up in broad daylight.”
Palm Desert isn’t the only place hit by thieves, who often resell their booty to landscapers and nurseries. Saguaro National Park near Tucson recently had 17 large saguaros taken.
Outside the visitor center in Palm Desert, city landscape inspector Brad Chuck looked over a collection of golden barrels that had been stolen, recovered and replanted.
“I can’t believe they are still here,” he said, a surveillance camera above him trained on the area. “These are probably worth $150 or $200 each. I think the economy is driving a lot of this. If it isn’t nailed down, they are going to take it.”
Chuck said the thefts began increasing last year. Agaves and Mexican fan palms also have been taken. He said thieves sometimes dress like city workers to steal plants in the middle of the day.
