Thieves stole dozens of 700-pound water meters from a City of Atlanta Watershed Management warehouse.
And nobody noticed, police said.
Each of the 28 meters is worth $5,210, police said.
According to an Atlanta Police incident report, the huge metal plumbing components were sealed closed and stacked in crates that had last been opened for inventory in June.
But a city employee accidentally bumped into the stacked crates on Nov. 25, and could tell they were empty, police said.
A check confirmed that all the crates had apparently been pried opened, emptied, then bolted shut again, police said.
And more than $145,000 in industrial equipment used to provide water and fire to businesses was gone.
According to the incident report and city officials, the warehouse where the water meters were held was in a gated location with several doors that require keyed access, but no security cameras.
And only seven employees have access to the warehouse, police said.
Watershed Management spokeswoman Scheree Rawles would not comment on the investigation, but said the department has stepped up security.
“We have tightened the controls at all warehouses through scheduled audits, inventory tracking facility inspections and card access programs,” Rawles said. “Our improved security measures will mitigate future losses.”
The investigation is ongoing, but no suspects have been identified.
This isn't the first time the city has come under fire for lax controls. Last year an audit called the city's security measures for monitoring gasoline usage "weak," noting that more than $320,000 worth of fuel was stolen each year.
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