Latgale municipalities battle theft of flowers, shrubs and soil

Municipalities in Latvia’s Latgale region are dealing with recurring thefts from public flower beds and planters, LSM reports. People have taken not only flowers, but also shrubs and topsoil used in the plantings.

A video showing a person digging up plants from a municipal planter in central Rēzekne and putting them into a bag has attracted widespread attention on social media. It has been viewed more than 600,000 times.

Residents interviewed in Rēzekne said they did not understand why someone would steal plants intended to make the city more attractive. Some called for the police to investigate, while another suggested that taking a plant shoot for personal use might not be a serious offence, given the difficult times.

The incident shown in the video was not the first such case in Rēzekne this year. Georgijs Orlovs, head of the city’s Urban Environment and Development Administration, said damage to public plantings was recorded every year.

“People steal not only annual plants, but also shrubs and even the topsoil from planters,” Orlovs said.

At least 20 flower plants have disappeared from maintained public plantings in Rēzekne this year. Some incidents have been recorded by the city’s video surveillance cameras.