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As Philadelphia is the site of the 2008 gathering of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and some of the LASN staff will be spending three or four days in the city of brotherly love, we?EUR??,,????'?????< Did you know that 75 percent of the city?EUR??,,????'?????< Where you aware that of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate in 2006 (28 per 100,000 people)? On September 12, 2007, police commissioner Sylvester Johnson asked for 10,000 African American men to patrol the streets to lessen crime. The New York Times recently reported that more than 2,500 manhole covers and grates in Philadelphia have been stolen the past year (the annual average is about 100). At least two people have been injured from falling into the uncovered holes, and of course they impede traffic and are a danger to drivers and vehicles. Batten Down the Hatches The city began bolting down the covers, but the thieves just unscrewed them. Now a lock on the manhole covers from the inside is being employed, but it will take a fair amount of time to lock the city?EUR??,,????'?????< The wrought iron in the covers would only net thieves $5-$10 for the smaller ones, and about twice that for the larger curbside drains. Other cities are experiencing metal thievery, but on a smaller scale. Philly is apparently the heavyweight contender (Rocky?) for this crime. Miami is starting to weld its street covers in place; Cleveland is sealing theirs with tar; and Long Beach, Calif. may just go with plastic covers. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 26 states have proposed legislation [https://www.ncsl.org/programs/energy/CopperTheftLeg607.HTM] dealing with metal recyclers and the theft of metals?EUR??,,????'?????<
Did you know that 75 percent of the city?EUR??,,????'?????< Where you aware that of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate in 2006 (28 per 100,000 people)? On September 12, 2007, police commissioner Sylvester Johnson asked for 10,000 African American men to patrol the streets to lessen crime. The New York Times recently reported that more than 2,500 manhole covers and grates in Philadelphia have been stolen the past year (the annual average is about 100). At least two people have been injured from falling into the uncovered holes, and of course they impede traffic and are a danger to drivers and vehicles. Batten Down the Hatches The city began bolting down the covers, but the thieves just unscrewed them. Now a lock on the manhole covers from the inside is being employed, but it will take a fair amount of time to lock the city?EUR??,,????'?????< The wrought iron in the covers would only net thieves $5-$10 for the smaller ones, and about twice that for the larger curbside drains. Other cities are experiencing metal thievery, but on a smaller scale. Philly is apparently the heavyweight contender (Rocky?) for this crime. Miami is starting to weld its street covers in place; Cleveland is sealing theirs with tar; and Long Beach, Calif. may just go with plastic covers. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 26 states have proposed legislation [https://www.ncsl.org/programs/energy/CopperTheftLeg607.HTM] dealing with metal recyclers and the theft of metals?EUR??,,????'?????<
Where you aware that of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Philadelphia had the highest homicide rate in 2006 (28 per 100,000 people)? On September 12, 2007, police commissioner Sylvester Johnson asked for 10,000 African American men to patrol the streets to lessen crime.
The New York Times recently reported that more than 2,500 manhole covers and grates in Philadelphia have been stolen the past year (the annual average is about 100). At least two people have been injured from falling into the uncovered holes, and of course they impede traffic and are a danger to drivers and vehicles.
The city began bolting down the covers, but the thieves just unscrewed them. Now a lock on the manhole covers from the inside is being employed, but it will take a fair amount of time to lock the city?EUR??,,????'?????<
The wrought iron in the covers would only net thieves $5-$10 for the smaller ones, and about twice that for the larger curbside drains.
Other cities are experiencing metal thievery, but on a smaller scale. Philly is apparently the heavyweight contender (Rocky?) for this crime. Miami is starting to weld its street covers in place; Cleveland is sealing theirs with tar; and Long Beach, Calif. may just go with plastic covers.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 26 states have proposed legislation [https://www.ncsl.org/programs/energy/CopperTheftLeg607.HTM] dealing with metal recyclers and the theft of metals?EUR??,,????'?????<
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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