BRADY, Texas — Earlier this week, the old train depot, 505 N. Bridge St. in downtown Brady, was vandalized and a piece of the historical marker was stolen.
"They ripped it off the fence then they took the circle portion of it at the top, but left the historical one with the story just broken and on the ground. So, Crime Stoppers offers up to a thousand dollars. We go on a judgement system on how we give out on a tip, but on top of whatever we would give, the owner has actually offered up a $500 reward, as well to any tips as to who might have vandalized the property,” McCulloch County Crime Stoppers Chair Erin Sosa said.
Sosa said the marker has no monetary value, but costs approximately $1,000 to replace. The property owner wants the person(s) found and prosecuted.
Sosa also said she has noticed an increase in petty crime for the area.
“Now we are seeing a lot of things like vandalism, lots of petty theft, break-ins and burglaries right now,” she said.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety's 2019 Crime in Texas Report, property crime has not gone up significantly from year-to-year, but motor vehicle theft has become more popular. The offense was committed 8.9 percent more in 2019, than the year before. For cities the size of Brady, with a population of approximately 5,000 people, property crime rose 22.3 percent.
Brady Police Chief Steve Thomas has been in law enforcement for 28 years and he said while he has not seen what he would consider a spike, this time of year citizens should be vigilant in protecting their property.
“This is one of those times of year where if it’s not lock up, tied down and secure and if it’s not watched there’s a chance that it could be taken, either from your home, your garage, your vehicle and most of the time it’s because something wasn’t secured and looked after,” Thomas said.
Sosa recommended getting a security camera on the property, as it is much easier to get an arrest with footage of the crime.
If anyone has any information regarding the vandalism of the historical marker at the train depot, Sosa said to call McCulloch County Crime Stoppers at 325-456-8477, or visit mctips.org.