VALLEJO (KCBS) – The grates over storm drains have been disappearing in Vallejo at a rapid pace, leaving several dangerous gaping holes next to street curbs.

In the past few weeks nearly 20 metal crates – some weighing more than 100 pounds – have gone missing. The stolen covers, which hide catch basins that take water to the bay, leave behind holes as deep as 15-feet.

Jennifer Kaiser, spokeswoman for the Vallejo Sanitation and Flood Control District said each one costs $300 to replace, meaning the district is already out about $6,000.

KCBS’ Bob Melrose Reports:

“They’re expensive for us to replace, and I don’t think that the metal thieves are getting much for them, which is always part of the frustration with metal thieves. They cause so much more damage than whatever they get out of it,” said Kaiser.

Kaiser said that the grates don’t have any identifying marks on them the way a manhole cover would, so they are hard to trace.

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