Woman concerned about her safety when visiting departed family at Jacksonville cemetery

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman said she’s afraid to visit her family members buried in a Westside cemetery.

She’s concerned about safety and what she called a lack of maintenance at Riverside Memorial Park cemetery.

"It’s not a good place," Kathy Bostick said.

Her parents and brother are buried there and she said items like vases and flowers were taken from their grave sites.

"If you don't wire them to the vase, they'll be stolen," Bostick said.

While Action News Jax was driving through the cemetery, we came across branches and piles of debris covering several grave sites.

"They are failing to maintain care and maintenance for the facility in a manner that remains dignified where people can visit loved ones," Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson said.

Carson is representing Bostick and said under state statute, cemeteries are required to maintain their grounds.

While there are no rules regarding security, he said people shouldn’t be afraid to visit their loved ones.

"Every time she goes there, she's finding things that are making her very uncomfortable," Carson said.

"When I go, I'm carrying a gun," Bostick said.

Action News Jax used the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office crime mapping tool and found that there have been close to 100 thefts and three burglaries within a half-mile radius of the cemetery in the past six months.

"There's people that linger around and they'll come up and ask you for money," Bostick said.

And this isn't the first time Action News Jax reported on issues from the cemetery.

In January, we told you that a jogger found a body in the back lot of the cemetery and police said foul play was involved.

And in July 2016, we showed video of items supposedly left behind by family members tossed out near the dumpster.

"Take someone with you and be aware of what's around you when you're there," Bostick said.

Riverside Memorial Park issued the following statement:

"The maintenance standards of our property and the safety of our client families is our top priority. The rules and regulations at Riverside Memorial Park help us maintain an appropriate setting for visitation and remembrance. As such, we ask that all visitors respect these rules and regulations while on the property."

Cox Media Group