[7] The gated entrance is across the street, east of the Bergenline Avenue station of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail in Union City, New Jersey.

[4] Typical grave depths are approximately five feet, and the grounds bare dry soils of yellowish earth, loose drift gravel, and pockets of sand, as well as occurrences of trap rock.

The Gardner vault had been found opened, which required the vandal to smash locks as well as break the iron railing, which was believed to be achieved by the use of hammers and chisels stolen from on adjoined marble yard.

The investigation, led by Superintendent Young, left those involved unsure of why the perpetrators would have broken in, and with no apparent objective or reason, they concluded that it may have been done simply to desecrate the resting place of the dead.

[14] Upon searching the grounds, police found remnants of living activity, namely mattresses, pillows, and blankets, as well as garbage strewn across the lawn.

To the dismay of neighbors, who had complained about the noise and feeling unsafe, there was not much that the police could do to remove the people off of the premises; there is no law against loitering in public places.

[14] Most who had been approached about relocation into nearby homeless shelters express their hesitation to leave the Grove Church Cemetery grounds, fearful that they would lose the freedom they had on the public property.

Measures were taken to remove and clean up the cemetery, and it is believed that while some may have entered into shelters, others likely still reside in the general area, while some had moved into the wooded eastern side of the Palisades hills in Union City,[15] where many shacks can be seen supporting the homeless.