Thieves Around the U.S. Stealing Manhole Covers
July 8, 2008 · Print This Article
A sign of true desperation: with the U.S. economy sagging, people have started resorting to stealing manhole covers to sell as scrap metal. The price of metal has skyrocketed lately, so thieves around the country have started stealing the 200-lb covers by the hundreds. Funny thing is, for all the effort it likely takes to haul off an iron manhole cover, you can only get $10-$15 each for them.
From USA Today:
“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.
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.
Hey, I guess meth heads gotta get their fix somehow! Seriously though, what’s next? They’re stealing copper wire off construction sites, catalytic converters straight from parked cars all over the place, and now manhole covers. Should I be locking down my metal patio set?
Link [USA Today]
Photo credit: Drugfree.org
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[...] Sure, the little bastards shot R2 and stole him so they could sell him, used car style. But did you look around that sand crawler? There’s a treasure trove in there! The Jawas are thieves, but they’re also salvage experts, keeping the desert and backstreets of Bestine clean. If Jawas were around today, it’s not crazy to think they’d be stealing manhole covers. [...]