Akron police officers, acting on a tip, responded to a location and made an arrest related to a previous theft that took place in a public park. By itself, the occasion was not particularly noteworthy, except for the item targeted in the theft--a 58-foot-long bridge.

Police arrested David Bramley at his property and recovered the composite-material span, which had been partially disassembled. Authorities say it was stolen from a field in Akron, where it had been in use until the early 2000s when it was removed for a wetlands project. Local officials had planned to reuse the bridge for another different project, but were shocked when they went to retrieve it. Initially, the treated deck boards had been removed; the following week, the entire span was gone.

Detectives allege that Bramley paid a local trucking company to crane-lift the bridge on and off a vehicle, which was subsequently driven to his property. Bramley’s arrest for felony theft was accompanied by the following statement:

Members of the Akron Police Department work tirelessly every day, to foster and strengthen relationships, while enhancing public trust throughout the community. Utilizing the spirit of those partnerships, detectives were able to help locate the stolen bridge and bring this investigation to a close.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Thieves harm not only the target of the theft, but society at large. Everyone in the community loses trust when a robbery occurs. But in the end, law enforcement ensures that justice prevails.