SYRACUSE -- Syracuse police say they have recovered about 40 cemetery markers stolen from the grave sites of war veterans. Police discovered the stolen metal markers at a Syracuse scrap yard after workers there alerted authorities.

Lt. Joe Cecile says the markers were headed for resale as scrap metal when they were recovered Thursday. The markers came from a Madison County cemetery, but police aren't saying which one because they are close to making an arrest.

Nationwide, criminals have been stealing metal and copper and selling them to scrap shops for money. Police say thieves are willing to steal virtually anything, regardless of the sentimentality of the items.

Cecile says the trend led Syracuse to create a special unit to investigate thefts of metal.