Posted on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 7:06 a.m.
8 sewer grates stolen in Ypsilanti
By Lee Higgins
Eight sewer grates were reported stolen Wednesday from near the intersection of Chidester and Catherine streets, Ypsilanti police said.
Ypsilanti Public Works employees reported that the thefts occurred between 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, a police crime summary said.
People steal the grates and sell them to scrap metal yards in exchange for cash. There were at least nine such thefts in Chelsea in mid-September.
Anyone with information can call Ypsilanti police at (734) 483-9510.
Comments
RJA
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 : 2:57 a.m.
Humm....there is a man in Agusta/Sumpter township that picks up scrap metal. I personally don't think he would buy sewer grates from a thief. We called to have him pick up all our junk, seemed like a nice enough guy.
girlhunter
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 8 p.m.
I know that I live in Augusta township.. and was on my way home.( I live on a dirt rd.) and was pulled over infront of my home by Washtenaw PD.. They asked to search my car, because a suspect was running through the fields and woods out here. He had said that he was stealing sewer grates....So I am not sure where there are sewer grates out here... but they were in pursuit..
Joe_Citizen
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 5:01 p.m.
Big scrap yards, mostly found in Detroit, just look at your load as you pull up on a scale. Then you pull off the scale and go and empty your load and come back and weigh you vehicle again, and the deduction of weight is how they pay the customers. The people in charge never really look at the load up close, and once the scrap has bee dumped it's loaded by into a hauler and goes to the refinery.
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.
how about mentioning the similarities of the grates missing in greene farms sub and liberty square (different parts of ypsilanti township)? the township issued a 'be on the lookout' for suspected specific vehicle and suspects description... let's all be on the lookout and catch these scrap thieves. shall i do this, annarbor.com, or whom? i would, but don't want to get it removed. please let me know. -dading
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 5:03 p.m.
you all hiring over there?
Paula Gardner
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 4:58 p.m.
We're on it - and I appreciate the suggestion. Some of this info trickles in from various departments at very different times of day, so it wasn't all in hand early this morning. But I'd also heard about the Greene Farms incident yesterday, and we've been tracking Liberty Square's metal thieves. Kyle Feldscher is doing another story on it today, and we expect to have it posted in a few hours.
YpsiLivin
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 4:30 p.m.
<a href="http://www.stabiloc.com/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.stabiloc.com/</a> Extra bonus - it's a Michigan company.
ezbngreen
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 3:49 p.m.
The haul from this fiasco will keep a couple of bums happy for about the length of time it takes them to chug down a couple of 40's....
Chris 8 - YPSI PRIDE
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 3:41 p.m.
Geeze, I remember removing a manhole cover as a kid to retreive a baseball from a drainage sewer as a child. These things are not for any lightweight. I know this type of metal is not worth the effort of lifting 8 of these things. I would be looking at shady construction companies developing maybe condos or apartment complexes. This would be a huge savings for them to buy these illegally, then use them in ongoing construction. A scrap yard owner would have to be totally ignorant or have a boiling pot of steel or iron to throw these in otherwise. I just don't see these being worth the effort of getting 20 bucks maybe, unless I am missing something.
xmo
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 2:29 p.m.
What Scrap metal place takes sewer grates?
WalkingJoe
Thu, Dec 15, 2011 : 1:19 p.m.
So do the police think it could be the same thieves as the ones stealing sewer grates in Chelsea?