Heavy-metal heists hitting Elgin hard

There appears to be a bull market for scrap metal in Elgin.

Over the past month, more than four dozen manhole covers have been stolen from city streets, primarily in the east-side Parkwood Subdivision.

Stealing metal and reselling it is nothing new as prices and demand have increased.

This year, thieves stole large boxes of aluminum siding from home construction sites in Geneva.

Aluminum garners about 50 cents per pound, but copper -- also a hot theft item from construction areas -- nets $2 a pound.

In August, eight men were arrested when Elgin police found $42,000 worth of copper in their truck stolen from a ComEd facility.

But manhole covers?

John Loete, Elgin's public works director, has not seen such a scrap metal spate in his 30 years in public works.

"To steal cast iron, where they pay pennies on the pound -- I guess it's just easy," Loete said.

But replacing the covers has been anything but.

The covers cost about $80 to $100 each and a crew must be called to the scene, Loete said.

In fact, the city's supplier ran out of covers, so there are several locations with a barricade around an uncovered hole in the street.

So far, no one has been injured falling into a hole or cars damaged from driving over one.

No arrests have been made, either.

The covers weigh 40 to 50 pounds each, and Loete estimates the cast iron would garner only about $5 when melted down.

"It's is one of the lowest forms of precious metals out there. I wouldn't even classify it as precious," he said, noting contractors sell both the manhole cover and frame. "If you've got a guy who rolls in with six covers in a pickup truck, they're probably stolen."

Loete said his department has notified police, who have spread the word and told metal shops to be on the lookout.

Elgin police spokeswoman Anne Dinges could not immediately be reached for comment.

Scott Schupback, manager at Elgin Recycling, said police have alerted his employees to be on the lookout for people peddling covers.

Schupback said the company usually works only with municipalities and contractors who want to melt down a manhole cover. His firm pays about 5 cents per pound for iron.

Even if the police didn't provide a heads-up, Schupback would be suspicious of anybody except for a municipal crew or contractor.

"If it's Joe Blow coming down the street with a dolly of covers, it would be a definite red flag," he said.

If police don't catch the perpetrators by the new year, perhaps a new law might deter the thefts.

In January, a new Illinois law takes effect that requires dealers to keep records of transactions of $100 or more, including the identities of sellers from their driver's license or state identification card, along with the make, model and license plate on their vehicle.