Reward offered for clues about sewer-grate thefts
11/9/2011A rash of thefts of steel-grate sewer covers in Sylvania Township has led to an offer of a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible.
Eight grates were stolen last weekend; more than 30 have been stolen in recent weeks.
The township is now welding the grates to the metal frames embedded in the roadway, Greg Huffman, public works manager, said. The thefts have been in scattered residential areas, primarily near Central Avenue between McCord and King roads.
Similar thefts have been a problem for two weeks in Springfield Township.
About 10 covers — which cost between $200 and 400 each for the township to replace and are sold by thieves as scrap metal— have been taken primarily in the Stone Oak and Deerfield Forest subdivisions, township Administrator Leslie Kohli said.
Anyone with information on the thefts should contact Sylvania Township police at 419-882-2055, the Crime Stopper program at 419-255-1111,or Springfield Township at 419-514-0115.