http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?SectionID=50&SubSectionID=106&ArticleID=15168&TM=43263.03
The scrap yards are not keeping the records like they are supposed to, as has been discussed at length in another thread.
We have discussed this before: Why can't the PD send a cop around one morning and check it out?
Because they are too busy ignoring people on the west side?
BUSY while IGNORING...only in MC!
that is a good one--what if someone gets orange safety vests? They could go anywhere and get whatever they want.
Why doesn't Yagelski spend a little time making the rounds instead of writing his little column? ENFORCE the EXISTING law!
Manhole covers disappearing, police looking for 4 large turtles!by Josh Smith Jun 30th 2008 @ 4:30PM
Filed under: Ripoffs and Scams
With scrap metal prices going the same direction as the price of gas at the pump it's no wonder that thefts of metal have been trending up as well. Recently a disturbing trend has shown up in cities across the U.S. where manhole covers are being stolen and sold for scrap! This rash of heavy metal thefts has led some cities to begin welding the covers in place, which has unfortunately prevented the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from getting their fill of delicious pizza!
On a more serious note, the theft of manhole covers is not just only an expensive pain for cities to deal with -- replacement costs range from $200 to $500 -- but also a danger for pedestrians. In Philadelphia, where 600 covers went missing last year, two children have already fallen into the uncovered manholes. Thankfully they only suffered minor injuries. The missing covers have also done damage to many cars whose owners are asking the city to cover the damages.
With all of the problems these thefts create, and the fact that it takes quite a bit of work to replace a 200-pound manhole cover, you'd be surprised to learn that the manhole bandits only receive $10 to $15 per cover. Some of the blame for these rash of thefts lays with unscrupulous scrap metal buyers who don't understand that manhole covers emblazoned with "Property of NYC" mean exactly that!
Even if we take into account the diminished ethical capacities of someone who would steal a manhole cover weighing more than most men, the return on investment is horrible! Assuming the thieves drive to the manhole and then again to a scrap metal location, they'll easily use a gallon of gas, leaving a net profit of $6 to $11. Unless the thief is a body builder the final take will need to be split in half which leaves barely enough to order off the value menu at Taco Bell; let alone enough to buy a significant amount of drugs. With meth's prices starting at $20 for a 1/4 of gram, a team would need to steal four manholes to make a buy, and causing between $800 and $2000 in labor and materials for cities, not to mention any children or vehicles damaged due to the theft.
Gallery: Make cash from metal: How to turn junk into dollars
New street crime: Thieves lift manhole covers
Updated 1d 13h ago | Comments58 | Recommend5 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |
Enlarge By Bob Riha, Jr., for USA TODAY
Ryan Alsop, with the Long Beach Water Department, said nearly 50 of its manhole covers were stolen over the past eight weeks, 10 of them in one day.
Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Stefanie Frith, USA TODAY
Cities and counties are battling manhole-cover thefts, a crime spree that police tie to the weak economy.
Hundreds of 200-pound covers have disappeared in three months in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia as scrap metal prices pop up.
"It's a sign of the times," says Sgt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, where 28 manhole covers disappeared in April and May. "When the economy gets bad, people start stealing iron."
It's the first year he has seen such thefts since he started with the department 16 years ago.
The price of heavy melt steel, the medium grade used for manhole covers, has increased from $329 per metric ton in January to $519, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington, D.C. A thief can get $10 to $15 for a manhole cover, says Ryan Alsop, spokesman for the Long Beach Water Department.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Washington | California | Michigan | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania | Ohio | Georgia | Palm Springs | Desert Sun | Fall River | Thieves | Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries | Philadelphia Water Department
Long Beach has lost more than 80 covers this year. People who have damaged their cars driving over manholes have filed claims with the city, Alsop says.
"Our No. 1 concern" is safety, he says. "A small kid can fall into these holes," which can be 20 feet deep.
It costs Long Beach $500 to buy and install a manhole cover, Alsop says. In Georgia, which has lower labor costs, the pricetag is $200, Baker says. Elsewhere:
•In Philadelphia, two children fell into uncovered drains, says Martin McCall, a supervisor at the Philadelphia Water Department. They were not badly hurt. McCall says drain covers disappear daily — more than 600 in the past year.
•In Fall River, Mass., 12 manhole covers were taken in the past month, police Sgt. Paul Bernier says.
•Dearborn, Mich., has begun welding manhole covers shut, says Democratic state Rep. Andy Meisner.
•Cherokee County, Ga., is doing the same, Baker says.
A few states are considering legislation. A Missouri law to tighten record-keeping on scrap-metal sales and the identity of sellers, increase penalties for dealing in stolen metal and prohibit businesses from purchasing recognizable government property took effect last month. A similar law took effect in Ohio this month.
Frith reports for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif.
New street crime: Thieves lift manhole covers
Updated 1d 13h ago | Comments58 | Recommend5 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |
Enlarge By Bob Riha, Jr., for USA TODAY
Ryan Alsop, with the Long Beach Water Department, said nearly 50 of its manhole covers were stolen over the past eight weeks, 10 of them in one day.
Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Stefanie Frith, USA TODAY
Cities and counties are battling manhole-cover thefts, a crime spree that police tie to the weak economy.
Hundreds of 200-pound covers have disappeared in three months in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia as scrap metal prices pop up.
"It's a sign of the times," says Sgt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, where 28 manhole covers disappeared in April and May. "When the economy gets bad, people start stealing iron."
It's the first year he has seen such thefts since he started with the department 16 years ago.
The price of heavy melt steel, the medium grade used for manhole covers, has increased from $329 per metric ton in January to $519, according to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in Washington, D.C. A thief can get $10 to $15 for a manhole cover, says Ryan Alsop, spokesman for the Long Beach Water Department.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Washington | California | Michigan | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania | Ohio | Georgia | Palm Springs | Desert Sun | Fall River | Thieves | Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries | Philadelphia Water Department
Long Beach has lost more than 80 covers this year. People who have damaged their cars driving over manholes have filed claims with the city, Alsop says.
"Our No. 1 concern" is safety, he says. "A small kid can fall into these holes," which can be 20 feet deep.
It costs Long Beach $500 to buy and install a manhole cover, Alsop says. In Georgia, which has lower labor costs, the pricetag is $200, Baker says. Elsewhere:
•In Philadelphia, two children fell into uncovered drains, says Martin McCall, a supervisor at the Philadelphia Water Department. They were not badly hurt. McCall says drain covers disappear daily — more than 600 in the past year.
•In Fall River, Mass., 12 manhole covers were taken in the past month, police Sgt. Paul Bernier says.
•Dearborn, Mich., has begun welding manhole covers shut, says Democratic state Rep. Andy Meisner.
•Cherokee County, Ga., is doing the same, Baker says.
A few states are considering legislation. A Missouri law to tighten record-keeping on scrap-metal sales and the identity of sellers, increase penalties for dealing in stolen metal and prohibit businesses from purchasing recognizable government property took effect last month. A similar law took effect in Ohio this month.
Frith reports for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif.
Problem with local checks on stolen scrap metal is simply that it's not sold locally. As with any business like this there exists a 'black market', notably in cities to the West of Michigan City. The thieves (at least the smart ones) know where to sell this stuff without fear of questioning. And those scrapyards can make the material disappear in a very, very, short time. The sellers will receive a reduced price, but no hassle. Some favorite items: NIPSCO service wire, South Shore RR copper items, railroad scrap (spikes & plates from the rails) and journals from rail cars. Also, stolen scrap from industrial facilities. And, in addition, they've stolen plaques made of aluminum or bronze off of bridges and buildings. Not to mention copper gutters and trim from houses and bronze markers off of graves.
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