Hollywood, Florida Cops Flush Out Alleged Toilet Part Pilferers

The South Florida Sun Sentinel (among other media outlets) is reporting on three suspects who have been apprehended and charged with stealing about $2,000 worth of commercial toilet flush valves at a state park in Broward County, Florida. According to the story:

• "Detectives are investigating whether the suspects are responsible for a string of similar thefts throughout south Broward County. Valves from toilets and urinals have disappeared since May at parks and fast-food restaurants, rendering the restrooms useless."

Reportedly, the global shortage of copper, aluminum, nickel and other materials found in the stolen parts has driven up demand and prices for all metals worldwide (and is apparently driving the thefts of metal plumbing parts). Brass devices that prevent backflow on water lines is also growing in popularity as a theft target. For more, see Police flush out suspects who stole toilet parts from parks, restaurants (if link is expired, try here).

Go here for posts on copper & other metal thefts.

See also, WFOR-TV Channel 4 TV report - Thieves Caught Stripping Bathroom Toilet Fixtures.

Theft of metal parts (as well as other items of value) is not unheard of in the context of abandoned, vacant foreclosed homes. See this Minnesota story on thieves breaking into vacant homes and ripping off the copper tubing; or this Indiana story which, among other things, involved stripping homes of their siding, copper wiring, appliances, metal fixtures and anything else salvageable. With the inventory of vacant foreclosed homes littering the landscape on the upswing, I suspect that my coming across more of these metal and appliance stripping stories will also be on the upswing. copper metal theft zebra