Cities receive protection from manhole cover theft
A manhole cover in Bridgeport, Conn., May 22, 2014. Photo: Ned Gerard
Manhole cover theft is the phenomenon of manhole covers being stolen, usually for resale as scrap. Long considered to be a childish prank or simple vandalism, this type of theft is often expensive to municipalities, and dangerous to their residents. In recent years, the theft of manhole covers for financial reasons (i.e. to sell them when scrap metal prices are high) has also become more common. Manhole covers cost about $300 each, and fetch about 10 percent of that value when sold as scrap. (more…)