Crime & Safety

The Palos Park Fire Hydrant Caper

Two fire hydrants were hit by thieves last week and officials are on the lookout for more.

Not content with , or catalytic converters, theives have found a new metal material to grab for some quick cash. 

Two Palos Park fire hydrants were damaged when unknown persons pried off valve covers on May 11. 

The hydrants, located on Wild Cherry Lane and 128th Street and 86th Avenue, had their covers removed and stolen. The covers sit at ground level next to the hydrants and are about 8 inches in diamater and weigh ten pounds, police said.

Find out what's happening in Palosfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The brass caps cost about $105 to replace. Typically thieves take the metal to sell as scrap for about $1 a pound, police said. 

The missing caps were first noticed by a Palos Park Public Works employee. Police are investigating area scrap metal shops to see if material matching the description has been scrapped recently, police said. 

Find out what's happening in Palosfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In the past . Other nearby communities have also experienced problems with catalytic converter thefts in train station parking lots. 

The is asking residents to report any suspicious activities. 

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