Scrap metal thieves grab fire hydrants in Irvine

[Jesus Malverde]

Scrap metal thieves have grabbed a pair of fire hydrants from the streets of Irvine.

Though it's still a rare crime in the Orange County city, it's the second time in three weeks that hydrants were unbolted.

The Orange County Register reports (http://bit.ly/191bqrm ) that hydrants can fetch more than $300 at recycling yards.

Many cities have been hit by thieves eager to take advantage of relatively high metal prices.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Scrap-metal-thieves-grab-fire-hydrants-in-Irvine-4894277.php

another three hydrants were reported stolen Sept. 19.

[DJ13]

1. Doesnt that leave a rather big mess?

[Brother Buzz]

5. Shut-off valves are but a few steps away

[DJ13]

8. Thanks

Im not up on hydrant tech.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Next time you're out and about and spy a hydrant....

look around for the baby manhole cover (6" to 12&quot , that be the shut-off valve. I'm not up on hydrant technology, but I'm hip to the nuts and bolts of all the utilities in my area, plus I can not go past a hole in the ground without checking it out.

[kentauros]

11. The water doesn't come out until you turn the valve,

and the valve is underground.

I guess they've discovered how to remove it without turning the valve on (as I would suspect the city has to do whenever someone runs one over.)

[Niceguy1]

20. that's for

Where it freezes, California onesvare just bolted on sbove the concrete. Turn it off , a few bolts, and it is yours

[kentauros]

23. Yes, I understand there are different kinds for every region.

I was only looking for a diagram to show the parts and why it's desirable for stealing. Otherwise I'd still be looking for each and every type out there and wouldn't have posted that little bit

[Brother Buzz]

22. That's a dry barrel hydrant for cold regions

Temperate climates use the California wet barrel design; the valves are above ground and fully contained in the charged hydrant. The shut-off is underground, between the hydrant and the main.

[kentauros]

24. While I was searching for a diagramatic representation of a fire hydrant,

y'all posted the fact about the shut-off valve, of which I had forgotten. Still, you have to open the valve in the hydrant to get the water going as the shut-off valve is always open, except for repairs, replacement, and stealing

[Niceguy1]

31. it makes those easy

And quick to steal...I bet with two/three people less than 10 min tops. Faster with cordless impacts.

[Brother Buzz]

33. Even faster with the rear end of a heavy truck bumper

10 seconds tops after the water has been shut off. One driver and two lumpers; them suckers are are deceivingly heavy.

[Niceguy1]

34. most places watch now

Has to be in pieces...too much work. I like an honest pay check..much easier lol.

[Politicalboi]

2. Doesn't the recycling place know

That those belong to the city? They should make it a 20 year sentence if caught with one, or accepted one at a recycling center without reporting it.

[PeteSelman]

3. People don't have fire hydrants just laying around.

Metal scrappers are generally unscrupulous but taking an intact fire hydrant, the only way it would be worth anything, is pretty brazen. It's an obviously stolen item. Still though, I can rack up a few grand a day doing this if I were so inclined.

[GreenStormCloud]

4. $300 ?? What are they made of?

Steel won't fetch that much.

[Jesus Malverde]

7. Cast iron/brass valves...nt

[Blue_Tires]

6. $300? Isn't that a scant reward for the trouble it takes to remove them?

and I'm guessing it's what, a two-person job? So you're only clearing $150?

[Mariana]

9. With the right tools and knowledge

and two people working, it probably takes minutes to remove one.

[Jesus Malverde]

10. 300 x 5 = 1500 tax free

Labor involved, shut off the water to the hydrant, and undo 10 bolts, lug it into your vehicle. Might take 10 minutes if your good at it and have the right tools.

[Blue_Tires]

13. I guess I thought if you're getting into crime, it should at least be worthwhile

Damn if I'm risking arrest and prison for $300 fireplugs...

[JonLP24]

16. I don't know if that is the case here

Last edited Mon Oct 14, 2013, 10:22 PM - Edit history (1)

but if you're into drugs than that affects how much you're willing to risk for what price and $300 is actually pretty good. Much more than they could get for a bike or taking a PS3 in a burglary.

Fencers pay less for items from dope thieves than they would from professionals.

[JonLP24]

12. A few were going around Phoenix stealing bronze vases from cemetaries

PHOENIX -- Four people are in custody and at least one more is outstanding in connection with the theft of hundreds of bronze vases from a Phoenix cemetery earlier this week.

According to Officer James Holmes of the Phoenix Police Department, somebody stole the bronze vases adorning 500 graves at Phoenix Memorial Cemetery. The theft happened sometime between 4 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday.

Each of those vases is worth about $480, making the total take on the theft about $240,000.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/3-accused-of-stealing-500-bronze-vases-from-Phoenix-cemetery-149891765.html

[Blue_Tires]

17. JESUS H. CHRIST

My great uncle (Korean War veteran) is interred there....

[Art_from_Ark]

40. $480 for a bronze vase?

Each vase would have to contain approximately 150 pounds of copper at the current price to be worth that for scrap.

[JonLP24]

41. You're right

I was thinking it was a little high. Maybe the article was referring to its non-scrap value but I remember the TV news report and they sold them for scrap, if I remember correctly it was a scrap yard that alerted authorities.

[Glassunion]

14. This is pretty common.

There are scrap yards out there that will take anything.

My wife had several grates stolen from where she works. They had to use a torch to cut them out.

Some of these ass holes are stealing sewer and drainage covers. This scares the crap out of me.... I commute on a motorcycle. Nothing like a two-foot hole in the middle of the road to double your vocabulary.

[Jesus Malverde]

19. They stole some water valves outside the factory where my friend worked

Put them out of business for 1 day.

A church here in SF had their bell stolen. It was found outside a scrap yard in Oakland.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Historic-St-Mary-s-church-bell-found-in-Oakland-2325758.php


A hippo statue was stolen outside a house and chopped up into 18 pieces.
http://richmondsfblog.com/2012/12/14/in-progress-putting-humpty-dumpty-thomus-the-hippo-back-together/

Novato's bronze pelican statue stolen from park
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Novato-s-bronze-pelican-statue-stolen-from-park-2327545.php#photo-1836891

If it's not bolted down and even if it is, off goes California's infrastructure to China as scrap.

[dogknob]

18. Irvine is perfect for this. It's almost uninhabited on weekends.

Bustling with worker bees during the week, but you better know where you're going if you want a cup of coffee on Saturday.

[KurtNYC]

21. They notice missing fire hydrants but seem not to notice that Irvine has no soul.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

25. I have a lot of old metal junk downstairs...

wonder if I can sell them for scrap?

[JonLP24]

27. Definitely

Well, here anyways. I'm sure you can where you live.

People spend the week collecting whatever piece of metal, pop cans they can find.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

28. Would that be in Colorado?

that is where I live.. I just need to find out where....

I'm talking about old dental tools that my grandfather used...

Some old nails and screws all over..

I'm in Denver area...

[JonLP24]

30. East Valley of Phoenix

I did a search, it appears this one take the same things the scrap yards here do. Also has a map of its location - looks to be off of I-25 on Umatilla.

http://www.atlasmetalandiron.com/

Probably search for other locations as the price for what you can get may vary -- around here not more than 20 cents or so but they're all right next to each other though.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

35. A buddy of mine had $3000 dollars in scrap in his garage when his father died.

His dad was an electrician so he had lots of big brass and copper fittings.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

36. my grandfather ran a dental lab in the basement - still have a lot of powders

and I'm pretty sure most of them are stuff to make mold for the dentures.

[Here]

26. If we had guaranteed minimum income in this country

these poor people wouldn't have to take such risks.

[Throd]

37. You don't understand tweekers.

[hunter]

39. Guaranteed minimum income AND an end to the drug war.

Treat drug addiction as a public health problem, and legalize the more harmless ones.

Tweekers steal fire hydrants, people smoking cheap legal pot or drinking beer generally don't.

Make it easy for drug addicts to get treatment, including safe, legal drugs where that's appropriate.

[Throd]

42. And there will still be tweekers.

[hunter]

43. Just as there will be alcohol and opiate addicts.

They'll still be a danger to themselves and others, but they probably won't be stealing fire hydrants.

Treat it as a public health problem. Aim for the harm reduction. If that means clean, safe, supervised houses for addicts, with prescribed meds, so be it...

Give addicts a place to go, maybe even get treatment when they are ready for that. Arrange it so they've got no reason, even crazy reasons, for committing crimes.

Harm reduction is what to aim for, not "War on Drugs." End the criminal market by offering their best customers something better, something safer, free.

[BlueJazz]

29. How about the recycling yards. ??? The Police should bust their asses like a D-7 Caterpillar tractor

...and if they start with "Well gosh, we didn't know that an object with TAMPA WATER WORKS".. on it was nor stolen, put them in the back of your squad car, drive them out into the jungle somewhere and leave their sorry asses....because they're too fucking stupid to live with the rest of us.

[RebelOne]

32. There have been thefts of manhole covers

here in the Atlanta metro area. That poses problems with cars running into those holes and become stuck.

[gopiscrap]

38. Jesus Christ, nothing's safe anymore

[JP0]

44. One of the ways to avoid scrap metal theft

Last edited Thu Oct 31, 2013, 01:47 AM - Edit history (1)

This is not the first incident of metal theft I've heard lately. It’s a growing and disturbing trend to say the least. The high rates of metal scrap make them an attractive commodity for thieves. The small scrap dealers have connections with the thieves who directly sell it to them without any record. That’s why we make a trip to our nearest recycling facility every few months. At the facility we have to give details of our identity and the items of our scrap are recorded. This helps to curb scrap metal theft. But It’s managed by a company called SIMS Metal Management. We always get a good deal at their facility for our metal scrap and consumer goods. You can get more info from their website: http://us.simsmm.com/