Selling the grates for scrap brings only pennies per pound, but can cost the city more than $120 to buy a replacement, City Service Director Jim Mann said.
“It seems to me like a lot of work or a lot of risk for the 20-some bucks you are going to get,” he said.
Removing the grates can create a hazard, Mann said, because they prevent children, bicyclists and animals from falling into the basins that can be up to 4 feet deep.
If a car hit an uncovered basin, it could cause significant damage. Large debris also could fall in and clog up the basin.
“The primary purpose of the grate is to allow water to go in without people, objects, vehicles and bikes going in,” he said. “When you remove them, you suddenly allow room for people to go in.”
If a resident sees someone stealing a grate, Mann urges them to call the police at (937) 324-7680. Residents also can report a missing grate to the Service Department at (937) 525-5800.
The police work with the three local scrap yards to let them know they aren’t supposed to take items such as sewer grates or manhole covers, Detective Michael Curtis said.
Sometimes sellers will cover such items underneath a pile of scrap so it isn’t seen until it is sorted later, Curtis said, and then typically the items will be returned to the city, as happened recently with a street sign.
The economy, metal prices and drugs all could be fueling the thefts.
“The theft in general of metal is just out of control,” Curtis said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0363 or ssommer@coxohio.com.
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