Increase In Metal Thefts Could Be Another Sign Of Economic Downturn
OAK LAWN, Ill. (CBS) ― There has been a rash of thefts in south suburban Oak Lawn, and it's costing taxpayers lots of money. The targets are manhole covers, and police say it's the sign of a declining economy. CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports manhole covers weigh at least 125 pounds, and they're not easy to pry off. But since mid-March eight of them have been stolen, leaving gaping holes in alleys and streets. Police have no idea who's taking them, but they believe this is more than a prank. The thieves are stealing them for cash. "I thought I ran into a pothole, but now my car's been pulling to the right, like it needs to be realigned, so maybe that was it," said Oak Lawn resident Katie Livaich. Police say most have been snatched at night and likely taken to recyclers, who buy whatever comes their way. "I'd site the money and the fact that metal is going at an all-time high right now," said Oak Lawn Police Department Division Chief Michael Kaufmann. "We're seeing that in some other areas with aluminum theft from gutters to, now, manhole covers." It's getting so bad Kaufmann believes thieves even stole the guard rail off a Bishop Ford feeder ramp to make some money. But the thefts are not only a nuisance; they're dangerous, too. "There's a lot of young kids on this block and I wouldn't want them falling into this hole," said Oak Lawn resident Terry Reilly. But police say kids aren't the only ones who could be hurt by a missing manhole cover. An adult not paying attention, perhaps, could be harmed too. "If it's been in a the ground for a while you're probably going to need a tool to actually lift it out, but it's possible to stick your hands in those different grate openings and actually lift it up, but it would take somebody with some strength to do that," Kaufmann said. Kaufmann said each manhole cover costs about $150, but it costs about $240 to replace, with labor costs. So far the suburb is out several thousand dollars of taxpayer money.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/manhole.cover.thefts.2.690023.html
I find it kind of weird that people are actually stealing these. I get it's for money, but who would actually pay for it, and what do they do with it? It's pretty sad how people steal just about anything now.
2 comments:
That's pretty pathetic that people are stealing these manhole covers for money. They should find something better to do with their time, maybe oh, idk...get a job instead of stealing!
You know about a month ago my two guy friends came into work and were telling me this story about how they were grounded bc they had gotten in trouble with the police. They told me they were bored and so they went around town looking for those inflatable animals that people put on their lawn. At the time it was around Easter so they found these people's house who had two inflatable Easter bunnies in front of their house. So they jumped on them and both of them broke. Well the guys didn't want to stay around for the owners to see them so they ran. However, they had been driving and parked the car farther out so when they returned to the car they didn't have the keys. The one kid dropped them when he jumped on the bunny and they were back in front of the house. But by then the owners had already called the police and the police took the keys and pushed the panic button and found the car. The boys got into a lot of trouble, not only were they grounded but they each had to pay $50 each for the rabbits they broke as well as write an apology note to the owners. But deep down I feel like they haven't learned their lesson and will probably do it again sometime. So I too don't know why people steal random things or caz vandalisim to things that aren't theirs just for fun
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