Calif. Thieves Steal More Than a Dozen Fire Hydrants
Source Redlands Daily Facts, Calif.
REDLANDS, Calif. -- Police are investigating the theft of 16 fire hydrants from the north side of Redlands that will cost the city thousands of dollars to replace and could pose a threat to public safety in the area.
The thefts occurred between the evening of Tuesday and early morning of Wednesday along West Lugonia Avenue, Research Drive, Almond Avenue and Bryn Mawr Avenue, authorities said.
Staff within the city's Municipal Utilities and Engineering Department estimate that it will cost the city $40,000 to repair. Cost includes labor and material needs, authorities said.
Currently, the city is working with a contractor to order and install replacement hydrants.
"That's $40,000 that's not going to be spent on something else," said Carl Baker, public information officer for Redlands. "There are a lot of priorities that are having to be deferred already, and this just adds to that."
In addition to the cost, authorities are worried that should the thefts continue, it would be hard to provide fire safety services to the area. A battalion chief within the Redlands Fire Department said firefighters have an alternative way to fight fires.
Baker said one of the reasons for publicizing the thefts is to encourage the public to call authorities should they see suspicious activity around any hydrant.
"If they think it seems unusual, call the police. If you don't see a city uniform or a big red firetruck -- call," he said.
In
addition to the hydrants, the city -- and several others -- have seen an increase of manhole covers and backflow devices as the price for scrap metal rises.
Two bills were introduced this year to prosecute metal theft that would make it a crime for junk dealers or recyclers to possess hydrants, manhole covers or backflow devices without a written certificate from an agency or utility that owned the material, authorities said.
The bills are waiting the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown.
Copyright 2012 - Redlands Daily Facts, Calif.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
