Dozens of fire hydrants stolen across LA County, deputies say

I guess the local gypos have taken all the copper wiring and roofing lead...

article / archive

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Authorities are investigating the theft of nearly 100 fire hydrants in Los Angeles County this year, sheriff's officials said Monday.

Some 85 hydrants have been stolen in unincorporated areas of the county, and another 14 in Lynwood, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The department's Century Station has partnered with the LASD Major Crimes Bureau to investigate the thefts.

"These incidents significantly threaten public safety and disrupt essential emergency services ... Our investigators are working diligently to identify and apprehend those responsible for the thefts," sheriff's officials said in a statement.

"Fire hydrants play a crucial role in ensuring effective fire response and public safety, and their removal can have serious consequences. Rest assured, our top priorities are the safety and well-being of our community. We are fully committed to swiftly resolving this matter and ensuring all fire hydrants are restored and functioning properly," the statement added.

Anyone with information regarding the thefts was urged to contact the Century station Detective Bureau at 323-568-4935. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

 

[OrionBalls]

This is the crime I would commit two weeks before setting my enemy's house on fire.

 

[DeathfatFag]

Cool. I can visit South Africa without leaving the U.S.

 

[#FF0000]

What would the thieves even do with them? Where would you put them or hide them after that?

 

[Kel1 shi1]

What would the thieves even do with them? Where would you put them or hide them after that?

Sold for scrap metal.

 

[oldTireWater]

Those motherfuckers are heavy!

I do appreciate the contemporary still-life.

 

[Vect]

Aren't these things like 10 kilograms each? This can't be a 'well, it's just lying there' impulse

 

[ShamefurDispray]

Aren't these things like 10 kilograms each? This can't be a 'well, it's just lying there' impulse

They weigh even more than that anywhere from 149-500 pounds thats 68-226 kilos. You'd also have to bring a pretty heavy duty socket/pipe/crescent wrench to bust those bolts off, especially if its an older one with rust.

 

[JohnnyG]

Really getting a kick out of all the ways the Cultural Enrichers are coming up with to rip the copper out of Western Civ's walls since we decided it's mean to punish third-world behavior.

I remember when news articles about urban churches installing wrought iron cages around their air conditioners to prevent yutes from gutting $10k HVACs for $40 of scrap were shocking...the pre-Floyd era was such a simpler time.

 

[Kuritan Deplorable]

Sold for scrap metal.

I find that hard to believe, anyone seriously engaging in mass scrapping is gonna know that those cast iron hydrants aren't worth it. Irons goes for cents per pound, a dozen of them might get you a big mac combo.

 

[Haramburger]

They weigh even more than that anywhere from 149-500 pounds thats 68-226 kilos. You'd also have to bring a pretty heavy duty socket/pipe/crescent wrench to bust those bolts off, especially if its an older one with rust.

Now we just need to know what they're worth in scrap to complete a cost-benefit analysis. Let me guess, someone borrowed a mobile powered socket tool from an auto shop to collect $500 a head just lying on every curb, lol. Probably no risk in "We Don't Prosecute: The City"

 

[Otterly]

Is this the new ‘pallet of bricks in the street?’
Looks like summer of love 2.0 will be a hot one

 

[Honored guest]

Is this the new ‘pallet of bricks in the street?’
Looks like summer of love 2.0 will be a hot one

This is more 'scavengers breaking open bones to get at the marrow' all you need is a socket tool, a truck, and a few guys to help load up and you have a respectable payday from a few minutes of work, and since getting caught is now just an inconvenience we're going to see more of this. At the rate we're going at I wouldn't be surprised if we have people chopping down transformers to get at the oil within the next 10 years.

 

[Otterly]

This is more 'scavengers breaking open bones to get at the marrow' all you need is a socket tool, a truck, and a few guys to help load up and you have a respectable payday from a few minutes of work, and since getting caught is now just an inconvenience we're going to see more of this. At the rate we're going at I wouldn't be surprised if we have people chopping down transformers to get at the oil within the next 10 years.

We need to start flogging and transporting people again.

 

[OrionBalls]

Is this the new ‘pallet of bricks in the street?’
Looks like summer of love 2.0 will be a hot one

Especially since people can't open the hydrants for impromptu sprinkler parties, anymore.

 

[Verdun_Salient]

I find that hard to believe, anyone seriously engaging in mass scrapping is gonna know that those cast iron hydrants aren't worth it. Irons goes for cents per pound, a dozen of them might get you a big mac combo.

Desperation and acknowledgement of the fact that crackheads generally aren't the most logical people

 

[JohnnyG]

At the rate we're going at I wouldn't be surprised if we have people chopping down transformers to get at the oil within the next 10 years.

I'd forgotten about this one, which post-European African basketcase were they selling this as cooking oil in again?

Someone will need to inform the TikTokkers (sorry, TikTokkas) about the delicious contents, so Prog cities can experience diversity-fueled blackouts after watching Moh'Besity and Duh'Bonica spice dey grease.

 

[break these cuffs]

They weigh even more than that anywhere from 149-500 pounds thats 68-226 kilos. You'd also have to bring a pretty heavy duty socket/pipe/crescent wrench to bust those bolts off, especially if its an older one with rust.

Local Torque Test Channel subscribers top suspects list!

 

[Kuritan Deplorable]

Desperation and acknowledgement of the fact that crackheads generally aren't the most logical people

That explains one, maybe two, but dozens implies planning, and explicitly requires the means. A dozen of these would be too much weight for a regular consumer truck to manage, so you'd be making multiple trips to the scrapyard and fully aware as a result that you're barely making gas back on 'em.

I guess dozens of junkies coulda all gotten the same bright idea at the same time and had the same tools, but that's unlikely on the face of it, and practically implies someone told them it'd be an actually profitable action. And now that I think about it, misleading crackheads might be an incredible way to coordinate otherwise lone wolf infrastructure attacks - Not claiming that's what this is, just a funny thought.

 

[profoundlyunfunnyshitpost]

Adding fire hydrant thief to the list.