Police: Thieves cut open fence to steal $40,000 generator
Thieves swiped a large generator valued at around $40,000 from a wastewater treatment plant in Scio Township sometime Tuesday night, police said.
Deputies were called to the 4500 block of West Huron River Drive Wednesday to investigate the theft, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office deputies said in a release. The plant services the Loch Alpine neighborhood.
A full section of a chain link fence was cut open to get at the generator, police said. The thief or thieves then hooked the generator up to a vehicle and towed it away.
The generator is described as a Kohler 150kw with a tandem axle. It is green with “Scio Township” written on the sides near the top.
There are no suspects at this time. Police continue to investigate.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
TA
Fri, Jul 12, 2013 : 3:48 a.m.
That generator is older than I am. Its an old surplus unit Scio Twp. sold to Lock Alpine Sewer Authority. Not worth 40 K in a long time, maybe to replace. Its a trailer unit.
nickcarraweigh
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 5:45 p.m.
That cardboard sign that said "Take Me" in fluorescent Day-Glo? They don't want that back, too?
Dave
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 2:55 p.m.
It was on wheels??? Scio Township should have put a bow on it for the thieves.
OLDTIMER3
Fri, Jul 12, 2013 : 12:10 p.m.
@ Ann, just because it had axles on it doesn't necessarily mean it had the wheels and tires on it. I know of quite a few trailers set on blocks with the wheels of to prevent theft and tire rot or theft.
Ann English
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 11:16 p.m.
If it had a tandem axle, it had wheels. I would think that some Loch Alpine residents would work there and have some ideas about enhancing security for the generator. The plant appears to be in a secluded place, all right. Only the neighborhood it serves is nearby. The railroad bridge nearby is well hidden from Huron River Drive motorists. Does the plant have any towers as high as Sweepster's? Is it built on level land or on a long hill sloping to Huron River Drive? I know that the Loch Alpine entrances from Huron River Drive are rather level compared to North Delhi.
grye
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 5:15 p.m.
and a gift card?
grye
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 2:16 p.m.
Probably used to have "Scio Township" on the sides. High vlaue items that are not securely fastened to other hardware maybe should have an RF transmitter attached that would allow the device to transmit its location.
arborani
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 8 p.m.
On the other hand, maybe security cameras or even a night watchman (is the term outdated?) might have been less costly. Or again, perhaps it's all covered by insurance.
arborani
Thu, Jul 11, 2013 : 2:26 p.m.
Surely these major equipment thefts are well planned; someone had to be close enough - inside or out - to know the generator was there, and identify the opportunity to take it. These days, sadly, we seem to need more effective security coverage than most of us, groups or individuals, can readily afford.