Police revealed "the callous" thieves of a public statue at Hughes shops would have likely made a mere 1 per cent of its worth if they melted the bronze and sold it.
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ACT Policing's Station Sergeant Harry Hains said the artwork commissioned by the ACT government in 1997 and stolen on the weekend of May 30 was worth $50,000 and its metal could be traded for about $600.
"To the people involved in this theft – this is pathetic," Sergeant Hains said.
"If your lives are that empty that you need to steal a statue, we can help you. Come and talk to us and we can assist you to make your lives better."
He would not comment on the ongoing investigation.
However, local real estate agent Chris Wilson who had worked at Hughes shops for decades said he understood there was no nearby CCTV surveillance that was useful in identifying suspects.
The remainder of the Stepping Out (Lady in Pearls) statue was removed on Thursday after it is believed the thieves rocked the statue back and forth and yanked it out at its weakest point, leaving the shoes and calves standing.
One of the two artists, Giovanna Ianniello, said metal scrap yards had been searched unsuccessfully and suspected the 200-kilogram sculpture had been melted down with no trace left.
She is in discussions with artsACT to work with local artists to replace the "local celebrity" that had become an icon for the Hughes (and wider) community, but stressed it would be different as the original mouldings were unavailable.
There is a high chance the statue would be dressed in a scarf and beanie by now if it were still standing. Residents of the South Canberra often dressed her up in cosy clothes, Christmas decorations or political outfits.
Cultural Canberra director Adam Stankevicius said that while theft of public artwork was not a major problem in Canberra, vandalism was.
"We have to spend quite a lot of money cleaning graffiti, and that is part of the challenge with having a public art collection of more than 100 art pieces in the ACT," he said.
The theft of Stepping Out occurred within days of a heavy, solid bronze water feature being stolen from the the front yard of a Yarralumla home.
Police urge anyone with information, including metal merchants who have received a large amount of metal recently, to contact crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.
