The Case of the Missing Manhole Covers? The police are on it, but so far, there are very few clues.
Shortly before noon on Tuesday, July 20, the city’s Department of Public Works received word that 16 manhole covers had been stolen. A total of 15 septic and sewer covers, 12 30” storm drain covers, two 30” sewer covers, one 12” meter cover and one 30” vault valve cover, were stolen from the area between the 5900 and 6300 blocks of E. Lombard Street.
Most of the covers were taken from an isolated grassy area, which could mean danger to the children and teens who play there. DPW has already installed new covers, but is asking citizens who have any information on the issue to call police.
Cars are stolen. Purses are stolen. But manhole covers?
“It’s not a common situation,” says Kurt Kocher, a public information official for the Department of Public Works. “We usually have one or two missing over the years, but that might be it.”
Baltimore Police have no suspects in the case, according to public information officer Kevin Brown, “but the obvious motive is that the covers were taken in order to be melted down for scrap metal.”
A thief could work with unscrupulous scrap metal dealer in order to convert the covers, which are made of cast iron, into quick cash.
Kocher says he has no idea how much a dealer would pay for a manhole cover.
“They should be paying nothing because they’re stolen. It would be obvious to any decent scrap yard that these are something that no normal person would have in his possession,” he adds, sounding disgusted. “They’re marked.”
If a scrap dealer is approached by someone who wants to sell a cover, Kocher says, “they should refuse to purchase something like that and contact authorities.”
The number of covers that were taken, and the fact that they vanished practically overnight would indicate that more than one person was at work, since according to Kocher, the larger covers can weigh up to 100 pounds.
“Obviously, they are heavy; this is not something that you’d just pick up and walk away with,” he notes. “I don’t see someone doing this as a prank.”
The tools required to remove the covers are not that difficult to come by; wrenches and crowbars are the most likely culprits.
It is possible the covers may be or have been taken out of the state, or even out of the country.
Kocher says that residents should call police if they see anyone tampering with manhole or water meter covers, or if they see an open manhole without a cover nearby. (Damaged or aging covers are occasionally removed by city officials, but in those cases, a replacement cover is installed immediately).
“If you see people pulling off those things, and they’re not in a city truck and there aren’t a number of workers there, call the police,” says Kocher. “DPW is not going to remove covers and drive off and leave a hole. We’re going to put down another cover or a metal plate.”
Replacing the covers will cost the city about $1,800, not including labor.
Kocher says there are locks that can be installed on the large covers and unlocked by officials when necessary to perform maintenance or repair service, “but the cost for tens of thousands of those would be prohibitive and it wouldn’t be feasible.” (That doesn’t take into account the fact that there are approximately 400,000 of the smaller water meter covers in the city).
For the time being, Baltimore’s manhole covers will have to stay the way they are.
“A few years ago, people were stealing light poles,” Kocher says. “Whoever is doing this, they must be desperate for money.”
