A rash of storm drain cover thefts overnight on December 10 in Mattapoisett and Fairhaven had police searching for suspects who stole the metal to scrap for money.
Witnesses in the areas of North Street, Winter Hill and Summer Street in Mattapoisett reported seeing a truck leaving the scene of the thefts. Police checked with local scrap yard on Saturday in an attempt to retrieve the storm drain covers and to find the perpetrators.
By mid-day, the drains were recovered when State Trooper Joshua Fries observed a white box truck on Route 25 in Plymouth. Trooper Fries recalled the description of the truck based on a “Be on the Look-Out” that Mattapoisett Police had issued to surrounding police departments. According to a state police press release, Trooper Fries followed the truck and contacted the Bourne Barracks for updated information on the suspects.
The Bourne Barracks also reported that two males had attempted to sell the grates to a New Bedford scrap dealer, who declined the sale and contacted Mattapoisett police.
Trooper Fries conducted a vehicle stop with the two suspects at the Bourne Rotary. After a brief discussion, Trooper Fries discovered the missing grates in the box truck and two suspects, Benjamin Sisson, 22, of North Falmouth and Kristofer Williams, 28, of Falmouth, were taken into custody. Both were charged with larceny over $250, and receiving stolen property over $250. 22 grates were eventually recovered belonging to the towns of Mattapoisett, Fairhaven, Bourne and Wareham.
Mattapoisett officer Matthew McGraw and Highway Surveyor Barry Denham went to Bourne to identify and recover the storm drain covers.
According to Mattapoisett police chief Mary Lyons, the suspects will be charged with eight counts of larceny.
Metal theft is not new to the area. Most recently, the copper downspouts at the Millicent Library and Fairhaven Town Hall had been stolen, and there have been several reports of copper piping being stolen from Tri-Town residences, particularly vacant or seasonal homes.
A Massachusetts bill that recently passed in the House discourages the crime of metal theft for scrapping. In the bill, scrap metal yards would have to keep stricter records of who is depositing scrap metal, and ask for photo identification for scrap exchange. Additionally, the bill makes it illegal for dealers to accept metal that has likely been stolen, like manhole covers and storm drain covers.
A full copy of the bill can be viewed here:
www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H03723
By Anne Kakley and Paul Lopes