South Africa Cemeteries to Microchip Tombstones


Recommended Posts

JOHANNESBURG ? Amid a rash of tombstone thefts from cemeteries in Johannesburg, a company will be offering relatives of the deceased a high-tech solution: microchips that can be inserted into the memorial that will sound an alarm and send a text message to their cell phones if it is disturbed.

 The city already allows microchips to be placed inside graves to help families locate their loved one's final resting places in the vast grassy spaces. Now, with thefts often carried out at night and the recycled marble or granite tombstones winding up in the hands of crooked stonemasons, authorities are taking technology a step further to foil those who take "graveyard shift" a little too literally.

The new tombstone microchips developed by a private company will be offered at the beginning of next year as part of the city's "smart" initiatives, said Alan Buff, the manager of Johannesburg City Parks Cemeteries and Crematoriums.

Nearly 20 marble tombstones are stolen monthly from the city's 36 public cemeteries, despite security guards and perimeter sensors. Buff said the city has allowed two pilot projects at its Avalon and Westpark cemeteries, and will roll out the technology further if it stems the thefts of the valuable items.

"This is peace of mind for the family," said Buff. "Tombstones are the property of the owner which is the family member, and you'll find you cannot insure a tombstone or it's too expensive for many. By doing this, it is insured."

The microchip system is called Memorial Alert, said Mark Pringle, the director of the private company that established the technology.

"We place a transmitter unit into the tombstone, so that it is not visible or accessible. Any unauthorized tampering activates a number of alarms," he said. First, a loud alarm goes off at the cemetery.

"This in itself should be a fair warning to the perpetrators," he said. Then text messages are sent to the mobile phones of delegated family members and any integrated security companies.

more

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a sad world we are living in. Now we are stealing from cemeteries. 

What do you mean "now" we are stealing from cemetaries? We have been doing it since there were cemeteries, or tombs, or pyramids, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What do you mean "now" we are stealing from cemetaries? We have been doing it since there were cemeteries, or tombs, or pyramids, etc.

 

That is true but I thought we had gotten beyond all of that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.