Well, it appears that they are for local thieves in the area. Now, copper, I can understand; that’s nothing new. But cast iron? Come on, folks. I guess local thieves are really hurting for the cash. It turns out that thieves are picking up quick cash all over Memphis and Shelby County.

Robert Knecht of Memphis Public Works says they replace about 350 grates and manhole covers a year with a price tag of about $50,000. On average, he says about 60 percent are replaced because they were missing.

The latest thefts happened in the Brunswick Farms subdivision. Four within a block were swiped last week.

Okay, well here’s where I get confused. Granted, many thieves do their dirty work in the middle of the night, but storm drain covers aren’t little. Or light for that matter. You’re telling me that NO ONE has caught the criminals in the act? What kind of 6 foot, muscle bound human do you have to be to get away with stealing one of those things?!

Now the city is looking to weld down the storm drain covers in an attempt to keep them in the proper place. But criminals are resourceful. If they want something, they’re going to find a way to get it, welded down or not. This is a shame, a big shame. It’s also dangerous. What about the subdivisions and neighborhoods that have small children? Little Timmy could just be chasing after his ball and end up in a situation that he doesn’t want to be in.

What do you think about the situation?