Police issue alert about sewer cover thefts in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police on Wednesday were investigating a series of unusual crimes on the city's Southwest Side.
Police announced in a community alert that in the last couple of months, there have been three instances in which sewer covers were stolen.
The incidents date back as far as August and as recently as Halloween – Tuesday of this week – and happened within a few miles of each other:
- Around 12:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 25, in the 3700 block of West 55th Street, Gage Park.
- Around 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the 5200 block of West 63rd Place, Clearing near Midway International Airport.
- Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, again in the 3700 block of West 55th Street, Gage Park.
Police did not specify whether the two incidents on the same block of 55th Street involved the same sewer cover.
Thieves will sometimes steal sewer covers and sell them for scrap metal. They are expensive for the city to replace, and an open hole can be dangerous for drivers and pedestrians.
Anyone with information on these thefts is asked to call Area 1 detectives, at (312) 747-8380.