The city of Cleveland has warned residents whose relatives are buried in the city's 12 cemeteries that they must remove crosses or other decorations from graves by June 2 or they will be taken away.

People were caught off guard and upset by the city's decision, Cleveland's NewsChannel5 reported.

Families reached out to the TV station, saying the city's policy will diminish the memory of hundreds of loved ones buried in the cemeteries. The city maintains it's simply enforcing a policy that has been in place for 14 years.

Cleveland Parks and Recreation Director Mike Cox told NewsChannel5 that the city is implementing the strict enforcement of the policy because of rising maintenance costs. He said crosses and other decorations could be kept up during the winter and seven days after a holiday.

The TV station's 'Troubleshooter' team asked city officials to consider extending the deadline until after Father's Day, June 21.