Metal Substitutes Stop Thieves

Really, this is not Earth breaking news, as it's been happening for decades.

Back in the 1970's my parents built a beautiful lakeside cabin on the Great Sacandaga Lake located in upstate NY (about 45 miles WNW of Albany). We used it year round, but we weren't there on weekdays. Two consecutive winters we found out that thieves broke-in and stole all of the copper water pipe and caused a lot of damage to the camp trying to rip out. Didn't matter that the place had a burglar alarm. Each time that was replaced thanks to a very good homeowner's insurance policy. The final straw that broke the camel's back (for my dad) was when thieves stole his prized 32-foot sailboat that had been anchored offshore....they cut through the stainless steel chain at the buoy, and obviously had planned it for a long time because they had to have specialized boat trailer to cart it off! The State Police never did find it. Dad sold the cabin several months after this incident because he was so fed up....

17 years ago during my tenure as a City Engineer for a small New York State city we had a rash of fire hydrant thefts when scrap steel pieces went through the proverbial roof. Something like 17 hydrants if I remember correctly. These were very expensive special order (because of the unique hose threads) Clow Eddy hydrants made out of high grade ductile iron, each costing roughly $1750 apiece, not including labor and equipment costs to install them. The thieves just unbolted the top portion (exposed portion) and hauled them away leaving the buried foot valve assembly. Eventually the crooks were caught at a New Jersey scrap yard dealer trying to peddle them off. They turned out to be local small contractors that had posed as Water Department personnel.

We also experienced a very high amount thefts of manhole covers & frames, catch basin grates & frames, and water main valve covers all over the city and water district extension in the adjoining town. Same MO, but different crooked contractors.

What metal substitute might be an acceptable substitute for fire hydrants, maintenance-hole covers & frames, catch basin grates & frames, and water main valve covers?

Yeesh. Thieves are the absolute dregs of societies. Any society. I doubt there is a way to stop them as alluded in the blog title. It is difficult to slow them down.

The neighboring town to where I worked back in the 70's had their Bronze Monument of a WWI Doughboy cut off at the ankles and stolen. They were lucky enough to get it back because the police happened to be checking all the nearby scrap dealers at the time and the scrap dealer basically said "how did I know it was stolen?" and had to give it back. He was out what he paid and I felt so very sorry for him. Tear, tear.

The Basilica in Newark had someone in a pickup back up into a 10' bronze light on purpose, broke it at the base and it fell across the bed and crushed the roof. Probably would have cost more to fix the truck then he would have gotten for the bronze if he been able to drive it off. Between the noise and the sparks the police got him before he got away. The dummy had even used his own truck. A smarter crook would have stolen someone else's truck.

If they license scrap dealers then they just have to make it part of the record keeping requirement that ALL transactions from people coming in off the street should be videotaped or otherwise photograph the material, the ID and the person bringing it in. With digital cameras today this would be very easy to accomplish. It may not completely prevent it but some would think twice knowing that stolen material would be traced back to them.

Make them out of Beryllium copper and let them cut it off with a Oxy/acetylene torch

But then if they inhaled and got Berylliosis they would sue because you used an unsafe material and didn't have a MSDS posted on there and some bleeding heart judge somewhere would allow the suit.

If the dosage is large enough his family would have to. Don't think the judge would like to change the rule that all proceeds for an illegal action are void.