Thieves of street grates in Japan's Yamato area

The theft of street grates, apparently to be sold as scrap metal, is on the alert of the YOKOHAMA -- Kanagawa Prefectural Police.

There have been numerous thefts in the area around Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, where grits are used to cover storm drains along roads.

Between January and May this year, there were 32 preliminary damage reports covering a total of 117 missing and likely stolen grates filed in the Yamato Police Station'sYamato Police Station's area, including in the neighboring city of Ayase, according to the Kanagawa Prefectural Police. More than 80% of the reported damage was in Yamato's Tsukimino district.

A Yamato Municipal Government official said that the number of thefts increases when scrap metal prices are high, and the prefectural police believe that the grates are stolen to be sold as scrap.

Many of the thefts have occurred in areas with few people or security cameras. The actual extent of the thefts may be higher than the official count, as in many cases landowners are unaware that grates have gone missing. Even if they do notice, they may be slow in filing a report, if they file one at all.

Yamato Police Station has not ascertained if there have been any injuries caused by the thefts, such as by falling into a ditch once covered by a stolen grate. It is urging people to be careful as roadsides with missing grates are particularly dangerous when it's dark. Many suspected grate thefts have occurred in other areas of the prefecture as well. The Yamato Police Station is putting out an alert through social media and implementing countermeasures, including patrols.