Help Stop Basin Lid Thefts

The city of Richmond is losing up to $1,000 a day from the theft of metal stormwater inlet basin tops. The thefts are becoming a safety hazard as well.

On Friday, Oct. 1, 2010, 16 tops were stolen from Castlewood Road on the Southside. Police were able to recover some of the tops from Smith Iron and Metal Company on Bells Road. A suspect was arrested as a result.

Missing basin tops are continually being reported. This is developing into an expensive problem for the city, with the hardest hit areas on the Southside and Church Hill. On Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, the Department of Public Utilities received notice of five more missing tops.

If you see a missing basin top, call the Department of Public Utilities at 646-4646 and leave a message with the location of the open basin. If you observe any suspicious activity around a stormwater basin, call the police at 646-5100, or 9-1-1 if the theft is in progress.

Some of the missing basin tops on Castlewood Road

Recovering some of the missing basin lids from a metal salvage.