KXO RADIO - IID - Water Department looking for gate thieves

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Todays is : Friday, 09 January 2009

Written by George Gale
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
(Somebody is stealing Imperial Irrigation District gates)….District water Manager Mike King says they are aluminum delivery gates, and over 90 have been stolen so far. King told the IID Board Tuesday that one person has been arrested in connection with the thefts, but he apparently is not working alone. He said 12 more gates were stolen Monday. King said most of the thefts have occurred in the south county. He said the Sheriff’s Department is looking into the reports, but so far only the one suspect has turned up. King said recycling establishments have been searched in Imperial and San Diego Counties, with negative results. There is a suspicion the stolen gates are heading south into Mexico, But King says there is no real proof of that. The Water Department Manager said the thefts are turning into a real problem. He says the District has run out of new gates. He said workers are rapidly repairing old damaged gates to replace the ones that are stolen. He said a new shipment of gates is expected later this month. The District’s Energy Department is still trying to find the thieves that have been stealing copper wire. King says his Department has increased its patrols of the local canals and have authorized overtime payments to maintain the vigil. He asked anybody with any information to contact the county Sheriff’s Department.