What thieves are after is the brass nuts on top of hydrants
to shut water on/off
Can get some good prices for brass scrap
Here in NJ couple of years ago had crack heads unbolting
sections of guard rails and taking to scrap dealers
Troopers arrested one dragging guard rail down shoulder
of interstate
Started arresting scrap dealers for possession of stolen property - kinda of hard to explain what are doing with pieces of guard rails
They started stealing manhole covers and storm drain grates for a short time where I’m at..scrap companies soon wanted nothing of it.